Jacksonville Historical Society

What Jacksonville Historical Society does

The Jacksonville Historical Society, founded in 1929 and now operating as the Jacksonville History Center, is an independent Florida nonprofit that serves as Jacksonville's principal public history institution. It safeguards the Archive of Jacksonville History — more than 100,000 photographs, documents, and artifacts spanning over 200 years — and manages a portfolio of historic properties including the flagship Florida Casket Company building (ca. 1920, opened spring 2025), the James E. Merrill House Museum (1879), Old St. Andrew's Church (1888), and Old St. Luke's Hospital (1878, Florida's first purpose-built hospital). The organization delivers educational programming through a monthly Speaker Series, an annual History Fair, historic site tours, oral history workshops, and school speaking engagements, and it supports fee-based archival research, image licensing, and high-resolution scanning services. No proprietary technology platform exists; digitization is supported through the CatalogIt collection management system and event ticketing through 1st Place Sports. Revenue is diversified across annual memberships, tax-deductible donations, event ticket and program fees, facility rentals at historic venues, and a virtual shop, with major capital support historically provided by the City of Jacksonville and private foundations including the J. Wayne and Delores Barr Weaver Foundation and the Community Foundation for Northeast Florida.

Name

Jacksonville Historical Society

Legal name

Jacksonville Historical Society

Website

https://jaxhistory.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1929

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Jacksonville Historical Society, operating as the Jacksonville History Center, is a 1929-founded Florida nonprofit that preserves Jacksonville's archival collection of 100,000+ items and manages multiple historic properties, serving researchers, students, members, and the general public through exhibits, tours, and educational programming.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Historical Society and Museum Services

NAICS

Museums (712110), Historical Sites (712120), Libraries and Archives (519210), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Libraries, Archives & Special Collections (BPAGAHAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cultural Heritage Institutions (Archives, Historic Houses, Monuments Foundations) (THAJADAI), Archives, Special Collections & Preservation Operations (Rare Materials, Conservation) (EDAEAGAJ), Historic Home Renovation & Preservation (HSAPAEAG)

Keywords

• Historical archives preservation
• Public history education
• Museum and tours
• Community heritage events
• Cultural archive research

Headquarters

HQ city

Jacksonville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Memberships: Annual membership program offering free admission to the Merrill House Museum and other benefits. Members receive free admission to speaker series events.
2. Donations and Contributions: Tax-deductible donations from individuals and organizations supporting preservation and education mission.
3. Event Revenue: Revenue from speaker series tickets, facility rentals, and event participation fees such as the Pumpkin Run.
4. Research and Archive Services: Fee-based research consultations, scanning services, and usage fees for commercial and educational use of archival materials.
5. Facility Rentals: Venues available for weddings, meetings, and civic events including Old St. Andrew's Church and the History Center building.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Jacksonville History Center preserves and shares Jacksonville's history through a public archive of more than 100,000 photographs, documents, and artifacts, a portfolio of historic properties including museums and restored landmarks, and a calendar of educational programming such as a monthly Speaker Series, historic tours, an annual History Fair, oral history workshops, and speaking engagements. The organization also offers fee-based research and scanning services, facility rentals, and an annual membership program.

Product overview

The Jacksonville History Center operates as a unified public history institution offering multiple interconnected programs and services. The core offerings center on the Jacksonville History Collection (over 100,000 archival items), supported by educational programming including Speaker Series lectures, Historic Tours, Annual History Fair, Oral History Workshops, and Speaking Engagements. The institution manages a physical campus comprising the History Center Building (Florida Casket Company, opened 2025), the James E. Merrill House Museum, Old St. Andrew's Church, and Old St. Luke's Hospital. Supplementary offerings include Membership Program, Virtual Shop, Facility Rental, and fee-based Research Services. Together, these programs advance the mission to connect communities and strengthen citizenship through history education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Jacksonville History Collection Public archive of over 100,000 photographs, documents, and artifacts spanning more than 200 years of Jacksonville's history, including the T. Frederick Davis Collection, Jacksonville Terminal Collection, and Garden Club of Jacksonville Collection. Available for research appointments, scanning requests, and online catalog search via CatalogIt.
• Speaker Series Monthly lecture series featuring historians, subject-matter experts, and artists presenting on North Florida history topics, with 10 to 12 programs annually including multimedia presentations and occasional panel discussions. Open to members for free, with $10 non-member and $5 student tickets.
• Historic Tours Guided tours of historic sites including Evergreen Cemetery, Old City Cemetery, and the James E. Merrill House Museum, led by knowledgeable guides covering notable figures and hidden local history. Tours available by appointment.
• Annual History Fair Community celebration held each June featuring exhibits from dozens of Northeast Florida history organizations, showcasing stories, artifacts, and resources celebrating the people, places, and events that shaped Jacksonville. Open to all ages.
• Oral History Workshops Workshops teaching participants how to preserve personal and community stories through guided interviews and recording techniques, offering hands-on tools for capturing family history or contributing to larger community projects.
• History Center Building (Florida Casket Company) Flagship three-story renovated facility at 318 Palmetto Street featuring immersive exhibits on the first floor, flexible event space on the second floor, and archival access on the third floor. Includes a catering kitchen and public restrooms.
• James E. Merrill House Museum Victorian house museum built in the 1870s and restored in 2005, offering an authentic glimpse into middle-class life circa 1903. One of the finest surviving examples of Queen Anne–Eastlake Victorian architecture in Jacksonville. Open for tours with a $10 suggested donation for non-members.
• Old St. Andrew's Church Venue Gothic Revival church built in 1888 featuring a 120-foot tower and the only major church to survive the Great Fire of 1901. Available as a venue for meetings, weddings, and civic events.
• Membership Program Annual membership program offering free admission to the James E. Merrill House Museum and free access to Speaker Series events for active members, supporting the preservation of Jacksonville's history.
• Research Services Fee-based archive services including research appointments to view materials, consulting with Archives staff for research projects, and high-resolution digital scans of images and documents. Usage fees vary by intended use from no charge for personal use to $250 for advertising.
• Facility Rental Rental of historic venues including Old St. Andrew's Church and the Jacksonville History Center's Florida Casket Company building for weddings, meetings, and civic events.

Quantifiable outcome

• 231 charter members joined at inaugural meeting in 1929
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• City of JacksonvillecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity of Jacksonville is a key partner in preserving historic landmarks. Jointly preserved the James E. Merrill House with the City in 2000 to prevent demolition. The City acquired land around the stadium including Old St. Andrew's Church site, granting rights to Jacksonville Historical Society with condition of restoration. Properties are preserved in partnership with the City.
• Historic Springfield SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistoric Springfield Society assumed hosting of the 24th Annual Gingerbread Extravaganza in July 2025. The Jacksonville History Center officially passed the torch to Historic Springfield Society as the new host organization for this holiday tradition.
• Evergreen Cemetery AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the annual Pumpkin Run event, sponsored by Evergreen Cemetery. The Jacksonville History Center has a booth at this event and receives event benefits.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Beaches Museum & History Park: Jacksonville Beaches area history museum operating a campus of historic structures. Comparable as a peer local history museum and archive in the broader Jacksonville region running exhibits, educational programs, and preservation activities.
• Henry B. Plant Museum: University-affiliated museum interpreting a historic Tampa Bay Hotel (1891) and regional Florida history. Comparable as a peer historic house museum operating interpretive programming, tours, and educational events tied to a landmark building.
• Riverside Avondale Preservation Society: Jacksonville neighborhood preservation nonprofit focused on the Riverside and Avondale historic districts. Comparable as a peer community-led heritage nonprofit in Jacksonville advocating for preservation of historic structures and hosting educational events.
• Historic Springfield Society: Jacksonville-based heritage nonprofit focused on historic preservation in the Springfield neighborhood. Directly comparable as a peer nonprofit that took over hosting of the Gingerbread Extravaganza from JHC in 2025, operating in the same city and heritage-preservation space.

Broad incumbents

• Florida Historical Society: Statewide Florida heritage nonprofit based in Cocoa Beach. Comparable as a larger heritage organization operating a museum, library, and publishing program focused on Florida history, with overlapping archival and educational missions.
• Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens: Jacksonville art museum and gardens operating historic property programming. Comparable as another downtown cultural institution stewarding historic assets, hosting events, and running membership-based programming in the same local market.
• National Trust for Historic Preservation: National-level private nonprofit focused on historic preservation advocacy and member support. Comparable in mission (preservation of historic structures and education) though operating at a national scale rather than a single city.
• Museum of Science & History (MOSH): Jacksonville's regional museum focused on science and local history. Comparable as the broader incumbent cultural-heritage institution in the same market, drawing on overlapping community audiences and competing for school field trips and family tourism.

Regional players

• St. Augustine Historical Society: Northeast Florida heritage nonprofit operating historic properties and archives in St. Augustine. Closely comparable as a peer historical society preserving regional history, operating house museums, and managing archives in the same Florida region.

Others

• Preservation Alliance of Jacksonville (dba Jacksonville Historic Preservation Commission): Municipal partner/regulatory body that JHC works alongside on preservation matters. Comparable as an adjacent stakeholder in Jacksonville's heritage ecosystem — not a direct competitor, but closely aligned with JHC's preservation mission.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@JaxHistory
• Facebookfacebook.com/jaxhistoricalsociety
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/jacksonville-historical-society
• Instagraminstagram.com/jax_history
• Xx.com/jax_history

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Jacksonville Historical Society