Penn Avenue Time Capsule Unearthed

inte8821 • March 7, 2012

Penn Avenue Time Capsule Unearthed

Contractors make unexpected find at former school site

Kristin Harty Barkley
Cumberland Times-News
October 26, 2011

CUMBERLAND — Allegany County had 10 high schools and the school board’s annual budget was $1.12 million in February 1925 when officials buried a time capsule at the former Pennsylvania Avenue School.

What a difference almost 100 years make.

Today, after decades of consolidation and inflation, the school system has three high schools and an annual budget of more than $100 million.

Unearthed recently by contractors working on a housing development at the site, the time capsule — actually a weathered tin box about the size of a loaf of bread — contains newspapers, a Rotary Club handbook, the school board’s 1924 annual report and a handful of pennies dating from 1901 to 1920.

It was an unexpected find, said Bryan Lybum, vice president of business operations for Interfaith Housing Authority, in Frederick, the owner and manager of Cumberland Family Homes II, a 25-unit townhouse under construction on Pennsylvania Avenue.

“We wanted to get it in the hands of the city so it would be preserved and dealt with appropriately,” said Lybum, who presented the capsule to Mayor Brian Grim and the Cumberland City Council Tuesday night.

“There’s some really interesting stuff. We didn’t read through everything and handle it too much because it’s ginger. It’s been in here since 1924 or ’25.”

Lybum said contractors were trying to save the cornerstone and dedication stone from the original Pennsylvania Avenue School when they stumbled upon the time capsule. The school was torn down last summer so that work on the housing development could begin.

The yellowing newspapers — a Cumberland Evening Times from Feb. 16, 1925, and a Cumberland Daily News from Feb. 17, 1925, — along with the other items paint a picture of Allegany County in a different era.

You could buy a Ford car battery for $16.50 at Frostburg Motor Co., for example, or a six-room house “on a paved street” in Cumberland for $6,300, a newspaper advertisement says.

Legendary cave explorer Floyd Collins had just been found dead after being stuck in a Kentucky cave for two weeks. “Collins Dead When Found,” an all-caps headline said.

White children and black children still attended separate schools. The former Frostburg Opera House was showing “The Woman Who Sinned.”

City officials plan to pass the time capsule along to Allegany County Public Schools so that items might be displayed.

The 10 high schools in 1925 were Allegany, Bruce, Barton, Central, Beall, Midland, Mount Savage, Flintstone, Oldtown and Frederick Street.

“It’s really cool,” Lybum said as he posed for a photograph with the mayor and council members Tuesday night.

“It really is,” Grim said. “It just makes the whole project more exciting.”

Contact Kristin Harty Barkley at kbarkley @times-news.com.

Fall Updates from IHA

September 2, 2026
A quarter of grant wins, community partnerships, and small moments that remind us why this work matters. Here's what's been happening at Interfaith Housing Alliance since the summer. GRANTS & FUNDING: Four New Grants Fuel IHA's Work This Quarter Interfaith Housing Alliance is proud to announce four funding awards totaling $220,000 during the last quarter from our community partners. In June 2026, IHA was awarded a $30,000 grant by Ausherman Family Foundation. This capacity-building grant will provide funding support for the organization during its transition to new leadership. It will also support IHA's work with key community consultants with the goal of recentering IHA's programs and services in Frederick, MD. In July 2026, IHA was awarded a $125,000 grant from Morgan Stanley. This operational grant supports IHA in its ongoing quest to create and provide affordable housing opportunities for low- to moderate-income (LMI) community members. It also supports IHA's continued community programming, which provides access to financial education and affordable homeownership opportunities. In August 2026, IHA received two funding awards in support of IHA's Financial Dignity and Empowerment Services. IHA was awarded a $30,000 grant from the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development's (DHCD) Maryland Housing Counseling Fund (MHCF). IHA was also awarded a $35,000 grant by Rural Maryland Council (RMC) through their Maryland Agricultural Education and Rural Development Assistance Fund (MAERDAF) program. These grants will support the full spectrum of community programming IHA offers, including group educational workshops on financial health, individualized financial coaching and housing counseling, and pathways to affordable homeownership. We are deeply grateful to these partners for their continued investment in this community.

Weinberg House Renovation Brings New Life to Senior Living

By Vickie Mills • June 2, 2026
Exciting, the final renovations of the last two units are underway at Weinberg House, a long-standing affordable senior living community in Fredrick, Maryland. Originally built in 1994, the property provided safe, stable housing for older adults for decades. Renovations began on May 1, 2023. At that time, they had a total of 23 units to renovate. The renovations included freshly painted walls, new carpet in the bedrooms, new flooring in the other rooms, new cabinets in the bathroom, as well as new kitchen cupboards, fixtures and new appliances. The final two units will be ready for lease up June 15, 2026. The renovation of Weinberg House represents a meaningful investment in both people and place. By modernizing the property while protecting its mission, this project will help ensure that affordable, welcoming housing remains available for seniors for years to come. It is an encouraging example of how thoughtful redevelopment can strengthen communities and honor the residents who call them home.

Interfaith Housing Alliance (IHA) is proud to announce three funding awards during the last quarter from our community partners.

By Rachel Gardner • June 2, 2026
In March 2026, IHA was awarded a $50,000 grant through the Frederick County Government’s Helping Empower Area Resources Together (HEART). These one-time operational funds were awarded to mitigate the effects of the longest federal government shutdown in history. This grant has allowed IHA to continue providing essential programs and services to Frederick County residents despite challenges at the federal level. IHA was also awarded a $5,000 grant from the City of Frederick through the Community Promotion Grant program. This grant supports aging in place and youth development needs among City residents through IHA’s Supportive Services. The program serves residents of IHA’s senior and multi-family affordable rental communities at 222 Broadway Street (Weinberg House) and 520 N. Market Street, respectively. In April 2026, IHA was also awarded a $25,000 Community Partnership Grant from Frederick County Government. This grant supports IHA’s full range of Financial Dignity and Empowerment Services, including our homeownership and financial education programming. IHA’s Purchase-Repair Program provides an avenue to homeownership for those who otherwise would not qualify for a traditional home loan. In Credit Café, participants work specifically on improving their credit. Financial Freedom Bootcamp helps participants improve their skills in budgeting, saving, debt reduction, and financial goal setting. The Frederick Affordable Housing Incubator (FAHI) brings multiple sectors together to increase the affordable housing inventory in Frederick County.
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