CLARINGTON — Clarington Masonic Lodge members and alumni gathered outside the former Clarington school building as crews worked to dislodge the cornerstone and discover whether a time capsule was hidden beneath it — something that was a tradition when the school was initially constructed.

On Friday morning, Raze International, the company hired to perform the demolition work, was able to extract the “Salem Special High School” cornerstone piece, which was laid by the Clarington Masonic Lodge in 1925, after more than an hour and a half of careful handwork with a chisel, jackhammer and concrete saw cutter.

Taylor Abbott, county treasurer and chairman of the Monroe County Land Reutilization Corp. or land bank, said everyone on hand was disappointed at first glance, as a time capsule was not visible. However, that changed once the stone was transported back to the lodge hall, where it will remain for the time being until a ceremony is held in the spring. He said the time capsule was revealed inside a hollow area inside the stone after a small piece of mortar flaked off the bottom.

The capsule was soldered shut and will remain closed until the ceremony.

Abbott said the beginning stages of the former school demolition are set to begin Monday. He said crews will start by removing trash and debris from the property. Since the school’s closure in the early 1990s, it has been a site of illegal activities over the years and is filled with junk and litter and has graffiti covering the interior walls.

The land bank secured a $341,250 grant through the Ohio Department of Development’s Brownfield Program in December to complete the project, which includes asbestos abatement, demolition, removal of materials and backfill on the site.

Prior to the removal of the stone, former graduates of the school swapped stories about their time spent at the building. Paul Dietrich, former Clarington Alumni president, said he was a part of the last graduating high school class at the school in 1954 with around 20 other students. He recalled playing basketball inside the school gymnasium and spoke of various area teams they played against.

As he took a look inside the old building, he noted that it was the first time he’d stepped foot in the school since the late 1970s when his daughter, Pam Christy, graduated elementary school there.

Once the high school closed in 1955, the building housed Clarington Elementary School until 1988. Christy, who stood with her dad reminiscing about the building, said she returned to the school in 1987 as a substitute teacher just before its closing in ’88. The father and daughter duo remarked that it was a shame to see the building in its current condition.

Abbott, who also attended school in the building when it was a preschool after the elementary school closed, said his last year was in 1993, just before the building was closed for good.

Abbott said the abatement phase of the project will begin Monday. He said that stage will last for several weeks prior to the actual demolition, which is expected to begin in mid to late February. He said Raze International crews are trying to limit people from entering the property once the work begins. He noted that there is nothing of value left inside the building.

“They respectfully ask while demolition is underway that spectators remain at a safe distance and not interrupt their crews,” he said.

In addition to the cornerstone, Abbott said officials are hoping to salvage the Salem High School namestones over the building entrances.

“We’re going to try and incorporate them into a memorial or monument for the Clarington Alumni up at the cemetery in the future,” he said.

The property is now owned by the Monroe County Port Authority, which plans to market the site for redevelopment.