Founded in 1929, the Jacksonville Historical Society (d/b/a Jacksonville History Center) is the oldest historical organization in Jacksonville, helping the people of Jacksonville preserve and share this city’s many fascinating stories.

The Jacksonville History Center comprises two campuses with two properties each. The Palmetto Street campus includes the 1878 Old St. Luke’s Hospital building and the 1920 Florida Casket Company three-story building.

The Florida Casket Company building was constructed in 1924. The building is managed and operated by the Jacksonville History Center. Exhibitions will be featured on the first floor, event and meeting space will occupy the building’s second floor, while the third floor will house the Haskell Archives and collections department.

The project included renovation of the three-story brick building and a three-story addition to both the west and east building facades. The additions and alterations were necessary to support the mixed-use renovation of the building. The $3.2M project was performed by Crabtree Construction, with Jeff Lane as the architect. The building’s adaptive reuse received $2.02 million from City Council in March 2024 and $50,000 in 2020. A City grant agreement was also solidified in 2022 for $500,000.