A Tribute To Mary Peck
River House is a little different than most venues in that it is owned by a private non-profit organization, the St. Johns County Council on Aging. On the weekdays, the building operates as an active senior center with all types of classes and programs for residents and visitors alike. On the weekend, it transforms into an event venue, hosting social and corporate events. Proceeds from the venue rentals directly support the non-profit’s mission and day-to-day upkeep of the building, making River House a dual-purpose facility with truly unique functions.
A woman by the name of Mary Peck, a longtime supporter and active participant of COA programming, willed that her home be used for the benefit of community elders when she passed away. Her wish was to provide waterfront dining for seniors, so older adults could enjoy the Bayfront view that she had loved during her lifetime. With her donation, a vision was brought to life. Her home was sold and the profit was used as the seed money to build River House.
Cathy Brown, COA’s Executive Director at the time, is credited with the brilliant idea of constructing a building that could house senior programing during the week, and host special events on the weekends. It became the perfect balance — providing St. Johns County with a state-of-the-art, nationally accredited senior center, as well as a prestigious event venue on the Bayfront overlooking the Matanzas River, St. Augustine Lighthouse and Bridge of Lions.
A.D. Davis Construction broke ground in May 2009, and River House opened its doors in January 2010. The River House Ballroom is named in Ms. Peck’s honor, and a portrait of her created by local artist Jean Troemel is displayed there.
To learn more about COA’s mission and impact on St. Johns County, click here.
Reviews of River House
Dan
The rooms of this exhibition and event center are framed by a beautiful river backdrop. The scale of this center is impressive and is capable of holding the largest of events. It is modern, clean and classy; a place you could be proud to showcase your next project.
Jay Grubb Photography
The River House is absolutely 5 stars with not only a beautiful upscale venue with amazing views, the event team is incredibly attentive, and the interior is suburb for photography. As a wedding photographer I highly recommend the venue to couples being in my top 5 St Augustine wedding venues.
Andrea C.
My husband and I had our ceremony and reception at the River House and it was a dream. We strongly recommend this venue; it's also slightly removed from the true downtown area but not far by any means. We liked working with the staff. We were able to flex numbers and schedule reasonably. Our vendors like working there. The venue makes for great pictures: particularly given the outdoor patio area and the river. The full industrial kitchen is a really big deal for meals. I strongly recommend an outdoor ceremony if whether permits! We had a slight chill on our mid February day but it was still perfect. We saw six venues in Saint Augustine and we picked this one because of the layout of the building, the outdoor patio area, and the front outdoor area. The dining hall is perfect and we had enough space for our ice cream cart and photobooth! I definitely recommend the River House!
