Hidden vault uncovered at Rhode Island capitol

May 23, 2017 6:24 am

By: Chloe Leshner

Email: cleshner@abc6.com

Twitter: @CleshnerABC6

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Demolition crews uncover a piece of Rhode Island history, discovering a mysterious vault. They found it behind a wall in the State House basement and are now anxious to find out what could be inside.

Demolition crews have been working on cleaning up that part of the State House but they certainly were not expecting to find the safe buried behind paneling and a layer of sheet rock. The vault they discovered hasn’t been opened since 1935.

What could be behind door number 1? That’s the joke going around the State House Tuesday after a demolition crew found a vault hidden inside a basement wall.

"I have no idea what could be in there, anything could be in there. It could be old paper work, money, archives, anything," says Brendan Connearney, the laborer who discovered the vault.

Workers were cleaning asbestos when they came across the vault so the area is blocked off for now. But in the room for the intern program stands the 5 by 3 foot steel door crews were shocked to find.

"We weren’t expecting it that’s for sure," says Connearney.

State officials have traced it back to the early 1900’s the safe was used by the State Returning Board, the words still faintly etched into the door.

"That’s where they had elections they would take all of the ballots, the assembly would approve, certify them in this building and they would store them in this vault," says Frank Montanaro, legislative services director for the General Assembly.

Now comes the frustrating part, finding the combination that will open the locked door to see if any ballots or other artifacts might still be inside.

"I venture to guess no but I can’t be sure because I would think before they closed it to remodel it whatever was in there was taken out if it had historical significance," says Montanaro

Officials are working to track down anyone who may be able to crack the code.

Until then Montanaro says, "the mystery continues."

The original building Superintendent is coming to take a look on Thursday once the abatement is completed. If he can’t help unlock the vault, they’ll call in experts to get it open next week.