A time capsule is placed in new Multnomah County courthouse

(DECEMBER 9, 2022) According to Cambridge Learner's Dictionary, a time capsule is a container that is filled with objects that represent a period in history. The container is then buried so that it can be dug up and studied much later.

Time capsules are popular additions to new buildings. They to mark the time of construction. Multnomah County prepared a time capsule for its new downtown Central Courthouse building. The time capsule will remain there, unopened, until 2120. That's 100 years after the start of construction.

Multnomah County opened its new Central Courthouse during a historic time: the peak of a global pandemic and months of daily racial justice demonstrations. A time capsule, set to be opened 100 years from 2020, contains items that help tell the story of the last few years. There are a judge’s robe and gavel, face masks, a COVID-19 test, front pages of the local newspaper. There are also pictures of Portland’s empty streets during the earlier days of quarantine, as well as pictures taken during major demonstrations for racial justice in downtown Portland.

“The time capsule is an exciting, meaningful way for us to make sure that a record of the profound adversity that our community has endured over the last several years — and just as importantly, how we endured it — remain part of the fabric of Multnomah County's spirit and history,” Multnomah County Chair Deborah Kafoury said.

The new Central Courthouse, located at 1200 SW 1st Ave., opened in October 2020. It replaced the old central courthouse, which dated back to the early 1900s and was not up to current seismic codes. The old building also presented security concerns for the courts and public due to courthouse limitations in separating criminal defendants from judges and witnesses. The new building cost $324 million.