Our History
The vision of The Gatehouse and the restoration of this house was the creation of one man. Arthur Raymond Lockhart inspired many people with his idea to reach out to survivors of child abuse within this community. His vision is to give all survivors a place to tell their stories, to give them back their voices, to heal their wounds, and to inspire them to see their own potential. This house is dedicated to this vision and this community.
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The Gatehouse, built in the 1890s, was the original doctor’s house for the Lakeshore Psychiatric Hospital. Abandoned for over 30 years, this building holds an important history in the Lakeshore area. Through the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and corporations, this abandoned historic building was completely renovated and carefully restored. A major renovation valued at over $300,000 was completed for under $30,000 because of the incredible support we received from our community.
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The Gatehouse started its operations on June 20, 1998, and since then, it has helped thousands, including children, youth, and adults who have experienced childhood sexual abuse. Our history is an important part of who we are – we’re very proud of our roots. The beauty of this incredible community mobilization project is the continuum of support from volunteers and businesses that have been involved since the very beginning.
If these walls could talk, they’d tell stories of relationships, strength, courage, and hope.