Harrison Senior Living commemorated its 50th year in business with a Golden Anniversary Event and Art Show, honoring both the history of the organization and the antiquity of Coatesville.
The Harrison House team spent their time wisely during the pandemic shut down and completely renovated their ground floor, including the main dining room.
Those renovations required new artwork, and something simple just wouldn’t do. Thus began the project of commissioning local artist Dylan Pritchard to take historical images of the city of Coatesville and the steel mill, which sits adjacent to Harrison House’s campus, and breathe new life into them.
The images were obtained with the help of the Chester County History Center and National Iron and Steel Heritage Museum.
Guests who attended the event were able to take a stroll down memory lane and enjoy locally inspired cuisine, made in-house by the Harrison House dining team.
The art, specifically of the mill, has sparked many conversations among residents who are former employees of the mill.
“It is fascinating to see the art through the eyes of people who were part of history in these photographs,” said Ashley Polischeck, community relations director and 16-year employee. “It is also a super unique way to mark an important milestone, our 50th anniversary.”
The art permanently decorates the renovated space at Harrison House, an independent living and personal care community located at 300 Strode Ave. in Valley Township.
The community is encouraged to visit Harrison House and admire the art.
“When I began working here in the 1990s, people would stop by to see how the Harrison family renovated the building since it used to be the hospital,” said Executive Director Jean Bryan. It’s exciting to have a new piece of ‘history’ to share with our community and we genuinely hope to see folks drop in and check it out!”
To learn more about Harrison Senior Living, visit its website at www.harrisonseniorliving.com. To see how else Harrison House of Chester County is celebrating, follow its Facebook page.
