GREEN COVE SPRINGS — You know what they say about a front porch. 

It's the space that fosters community and bridges the outside world to inside history. And the Rivers House Heritage and Adventure Center in Green Cove Springs is no stranger to that sentiment.

With the home at the center of Spring Park, Green Cove Springs Preservation Society President Sandra Dunnavant said maintaining its history is of utmost importance.

"We all see that Green Cove is growing so quickly. We just don't want to lose this," Dunnavant said. 

The inaugural PorchFest on Friday, July 10, was a grand start. The home was the main stage for Northeast Florida rock band Remedy, who took to the front porch to provide a tuneful outdoor concert experience. And despite the rain, the crowd was full.

Dunnavant said the community event acted as a fundraiser for future renovations on the inside of the historic home. 

Built in the 1880s, the building was an accessory lodge for the Oakland Hotel during the city's booming hotel era. It was called the Spring Cottage. It later became the home of prominent Green Cove Springs attorney and judge Thomas Judson Rivers.

Rivers passed away in 1992, and the house was sold to the city in 2020. There were various visions for the home. But the first step included bringing it up to code. Still salvageable, but in dire need of refurbishments, Friends of the Rivers House's Leslie Davidson vowed to save it. Since then, the city has completed the first phase of renovations, including siding replacement, structural deck repairs and the demolition of an unsalvageable 1930s addition. 

Future fundraisers, Dunnavant said, will help to address Phase 2. 

"Our goal is to make this house the front porch of Green Cove Springs," she said. "We're designing it to welcome tourists, welcome grandparents, welcome children, welcome everybody to come and learn about Green Cove Springs."

Five generations of Rivers', including Judge Rivers' children - Tom, Susan and Vaughan - were in attendance. Standing in front of the house he and his siblings grew up in, Tom said it was amazing to see the efforts of keeping his father's legacy alive.

"It's an honor to our father that the city wanted to dedicate [the house]. He was a judge for 26 years. So, I think it's a great honor to him."

With a mission to promote the area's historical and cultural resources through community engagement and educational initiatives, Dunnavant said PorchFest opens the door for much more. PorchFest will resume every second Friday of the month, featuring concerts and speaker series' delving into historic topics. 

Through historic walking and architectural tours, exhibits and educational programs, Dunnavant said she hopes to bring the stories of Green Cove Springs to life. Most remember the porch as the place where some of the city's most prominent memories were made. And with the help of the Green Cove Springs Preservation Society, there will surely be more to come.