MGP includes Tenino sandstone apple in the Congressional America250 Time Capsule

This week, U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Skamania, announced her submission to the Congressional 250th Anniversary Time Capsule: a hand-carved Tenino sandstone apple.

This apple is made from a type of sandstone quarried in her district in Southwest Washington, and was carved by master stone carver Keith Phillips of the Tenino Stone Carvers Guild.

“Tenino Sandstone makes up the history of both my district and my family. My great-great-uncle, Andrew Wilson, was a stonecutter in Tenino. My great-grandfather, Burt Gilmore, was the quarry master during the extraction of the stones used to build the Washington state Capitol. He worked at the same quarry that this stone came from,” Gluesenkamp Perez said in a news release. “I’m proud to have it included and I hope future generations can appreciate its history and handiwork.”

The time capsule will be buried beneath the U.S. Capitol Building, where it will remain until its opening in the year 2276, the release stated.

The selection of this stone apple represents not only recognition of the extraordinary craftsmanship passed down through generations in Southwest Washington, but also acknowledgment that Tenino sandstone, and the traditions it preserves, are part of the nation's enduring cultural history, Gluesenkamp Perez said.