Advertisement Mysterious, decades-old safe may soon be opened at State House Share Shares Copy Link Copy

A mysterious safe that has been locked for as long as anyone can remember may soon be opened at the New Hampshire State House.After months of wrangling over how to proceed, the Joint Legislative Facilities Committee gave the go-ahead to House Speaker Shawn Jasper, R-Hudson, to hire a locksmith to crack the century-old vault in Room 103.“This has been something I’ve wanted to get done for years and years,” Jasper said.Speaker Shawn Jasper and his Chief of Staff Terry Pfaff have sought to move forward with the project for months, but Senate President Chuck Morse, R-Salem, who has nominal control over Room 103, has been less enthusiastic about the project.“When that originally came up, it was in the middle of the final days of the budget,” Morse said. “I certainly believed at the time there were higher priorities.”When Jasper mentioned the safe as the Facilities Committee wrapped up its official business Wednesday morning, Morse mimicked laying his head on the table in mock exasperation.The speaker is fine with the good-natured ribbing; he’s happy that the mystery of the sealed vault will finally be resolved.“Here I am, possibly at the end of my tenure as Speaker, and I really want to get this done before I leave,” Jasper said.Gov. Chris Sununu is recommending Jasper for Commissioner of the Department of Agriculture.He still faces a nomination and confirmation process, but he will likely be handing over his gavel in the coming weeks. As for what is inside the vault, it’s anyone’s guess.In the 1800s, Room 103 housed the Treasury, but in the decades since, it has also served as a home to the Department of Motor Vehicles and, most recently, a hearing room.Pfaff said the safe has been locked for almost 70 years. “My understanding is that it hasn’t been opened since the 50s. They may have used it for storage,” Pfaff said. “You know the State House; space is tight so we use things for storage all over the place.”Jasper said he’s secured outside funding to open the vault, with costs estimated at just under $500. The locksmith will use a specialized electronic tool to listen to the lock’s numerical tumbler and determine the code.Jasper said he wants the big reveal to be done publicly, although Senate staffers are asking for something lower-key. “There’s probably nothing in it, it’s probably just like Al Capone’s safe,” said Jasper, referencing a notorious live television event in the 1980s hosted by Geraldo Rivera.The Speaker’s Office has spearheaded several improvements to the New Hampshire Statehouse ahead of its upcoming bicentennial, and Jasper and his staff are well-known history buffs.Pfaff said the opening of the safe is like the cherry on top of several years of projects to maintain and beautify the historic facility.“It’ll be an interesting story to tell. Even if it’s empty, it’s fun,” Pfaff said.