HUNTINGTON BEACH : Pier Time Capsule, Buildings in Limbo

Some historic remnants from Huntington Beach’s 1914 pier remain in a holding pattern.

A time capsule from the pier cornerstone remains unopened, despite having been unearthed more than a month ago. The cornerstone, and the time capsule cemented to it, both are under wraps in the city’s Public Works Storage Yard at 17371 Gothard St.

“The city wants to have an opening ceremony for the time capsule at a special meeting of the City Council in either March or April,” said Jerry Person, chairman of the city’s Historic Resources Board.

The capsule, a rusted metal box, is believed to contain only old programs and newspapers from 1914, but some people have speculated that a “treasure,” such as a piece of jewelry, may also have been dropped inside.

In addition, three small Art Deco buildings removed from the old pier remain at the storage yard. Person said the city has not yet decided what to do with the cream-and-brown buildings constructed in the late 1920s and early 1930s.

The buildings housed a fishing tackle shop, a small bar and a snack shop. The city removed them from the pier Sept. 4.

Mayor Peter M. Green recently said the new pier may be reopened in March, 1992, without any buildings on it.

He noted that the city’s immediate goal is to pay for rebuilding the basic pier structure, while replacing the buildings on the pier could cost an additional $1 million to $3 million.