Coatesville High School students will get the chance to work on preserving historic buildings through a new course, Historical Research and Preservation, according to a report in the Daily Local News.

Social studies teacher Lisa Doan-Harley spent a year researching and designing the course. She hopes it will eventually lead to the restoration of the historic Gardner-Beale house on the school’s campus.

The Gardner-Beale house dates back to the beginning of the 19th century and was a major stop on the Underground Railroad, harboring escaped slaves on their way to the North.

Advertisement

The course also requires unique field trips, like visits to art museums, not to view the exhibits, but to meet with curators and tour the back rooms where items are cleaned, preserved, and stored.

During the fourth year of the program, students will also be expected to take on an internship related to preservation.

The final goal is to create the Gardner-Beale House Heritage Center, which will be owned and maintained by the school district and used as a teaching museum for history and architecture.

Read more about Coatesville High School’s new course in the Daily Local News here.