Old State House lion statue in Boston turns out to be time capsule from 1901

SOMETIMES those old urban myths really do come true.

This week the Bostonian Society has confirmed what had long been rumoured in the city: The head of a famous lion statue is really a time capsule from 1901.

The lion sits alongside a unico on top of the Old State House in Boston and was recently taken down as part of a restoration effort.

However once the sculptor charged with restoring it took a look inside, he confirmed to Bostonian society spokeswoman Heather Leet that there was a time capsule there.

The copper box is about the size of a shoebox and is fixed to the head of the lion. It’s thought to contain photographs, autographs, news paper clippings and letters from politicians and prominent people in the city at the time and is due to be opened next week.

“We’re hoping it didn’t get wet,” Leet told The Boston Globe.

An “archivist will be on hand to see the condition of the items — papers could be deteriorating, that sort of thing ... We don’t want the newspapers to tu to dust.”

The lion statue has a time capsule attached. Source: Supplied

The Society has now started a campaign asking people what they would put in a new time capsule that may not be touched for another 113 years.

Ideas are being sent to the society via Twitter or Facebook under the #LionAndUnico.