History
St. Andrew's Lighthouse, Inc. was established in 1996 as an outreach mission of St. Andrew's Lutheran Church by the Sea to help ease the financial, physical and emotional stresses that accompany serious illness and injury.
Our first house, which sits on the property of St. Andrew's Lutheran Church, was originally built in 1915 as a private residence in the Historic Riverside District of Jacksonville, FL. Years later, the house was moved by waterway to Beach Blvd. in Jacksonville Beach. In the 1950’s, the property became home to St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church by the Sea.
Over the years, the house served as auxiliary meeting rooms and storage for the main church but eventually fell into serious disrepair. In 1996, a parishioner suggested it could be put to better use as temporary lodging for families in need of medical treatment in Jacksonville area hospitals. Church members overwhelmingly supported the idea and the vision of a “home away from home” began to take root.
St. Andrew’s Lighthouse, Inc. was filed as a 501(c)3 in April, 1996, and became a member of the National Association of Hospital Hospitality Houses (NAHHH) in 1998.
The house underwent extensive renovation and opened the doors to our first guests in June 2000. A little more than ten years later, we look forward to the opening of our new 30-bedroom facility, Gabriel House of Care, which is being constructed on the Mayo Clinic Florida campus.