You’d think that everything hidden in Fenwick Hall would have been found by now.
But that’s the thing about 175-year-old buildings: There’s always something else to discover.
Such was the case in May when Avanell Brock, the College’s multimedia producer, was using Fenwick 421 as a quiet location for filming video interviews. Currently the Rev. William Fitzgerald, S.J., Library for the classics department, the room sports bookshelves, a desk, a table and easy chairs, and is used by students for reading and collaborative research.
As Brock surveyed the room, she spied what looked like a small door directly above the closet. Curious, she stood on a chair, opened the door and found, of all things, a heavy munitions box.
As it was too high and heavy to remove by herself, Brock popped the box’s lid and took photos with her phone to see what was in it. They revealed a stack of papers with an envelope on top addressed to: “RJ Healey, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Boston, Mass.” She closed the box and shut the door, then sent the photos to Stephen Albano, Holy Cross Magazine art director, knowing he is always on the lookout for College history.
Brock was the first person to lay eyes on the box in years.