Blog Post

Field School Lays Foundation for Church's Rejuvenation

The 5-week field school at the historic Dutch Reformed Church concludes this week in a ceremony outside the church in Newburgh, NY. This field school for students of the Newburgh Free Academy is the second WMF has organized, sponsored, and run in partnership with City of Newburgh, the National Park Service, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Newburgh, the Newburgh Preservation Association, and the Netherland-America Foundation.

Newburgh, like many hard-hit former industrial cities, is more often in the news for problems than successes. This field school, however, with its emphasis on community involvement and training students in carpentry techniques and preservation crafts, is a positive story for this city. The students are learning valuable trade skills and contributing to the improvement their community.

While the church is still years away from a complete restoration, the work these students are doing is helping to lay the foundation for the rejuvenation of one of the jewels of the Hudson River Valley.