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HANNIBAL, MO -- Hannibal High School students put down their books and picked up their paint brushes Saturday afternoon for a house "Rehabathon."

The Central Park Neighborhood Association organized it's first Rehabathon to help students in the Hannibal High School Historic Preservations Trades program work on remodeling a historic home at 322 North Street. The home was donated to the Mark Twain Home Foundation and has received a considerable amount of upgrades from the students in the trades progam.

Students in the program learn skills necessary to remodel and rehab properties. Zachary Russel has been involved for four years, and now has a job lined up after graduation to continue working on rehabbing properties.

"You're restoring something 150 years old instead of building something new. I'm really interested in it and I actually got a job doing it after school down at River City Restorations," said Russel

Today the work focused mostly on exterior work and painting, a skill that one student has learned to love.

"It's one of those things you don't know you're good at until you do it.You come out here and you do it and you realize hey this might be something I want to do in the future," said Shane Lawson who has been working in the trades program about half a year.

As part of their training students work on the property regularly. Tiara Bonner sees this program as preparation for her future.

"I want to own a house in the future and it's a good experience. It's pretty fun too," said Bonner who hopes to go on to study the subject in college.

The house will be sold when it is completed and the profit will be split between the Hannibal High School Historic Preservations Trades program and the Mark Twain Home Foundation. The portion of the profit that goes to the trades program will be invested in continuing the program with more property and new tools and supplies.