On a spring day in 1960, the Rev. August "Dad" Hoeger of The Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society came to Davenport in search of a site on which to build a nursing facility for the frail elderly. What he found was a special property unlike any other. The Forest Park Sanitarium in west Davenport had recently been closed, and "Dad" saw within it the nursing home he envisioned. Not only would the site serve well as a nursing facility, but it was in an extraordinary setting, secluded in the beautiful woods of Schuetzen Park.

After fundraising and renovations to the historic 1927 sanitarium building, the 40-bed Davenport Good Samaritan Center was opened in 1962. Through the years, the Center has become respected as one of the Quad City area's leaders in senior apartment living, healthcare, Alzheimer's care and rehabilitation. The picturesque campus now includes four residential buildings, with 205 nursing care beds and 44 senior living apartments. It features the area's most complete geriatric rehabilitation center and the area's premier Alzheimer's special care facility. And, the surrounding woods continue to become more scenic with each passing season.

The Center's senior apartment building is called Heritage Court at Schuetzen Park. Its name is derived from the role of the Thrivent Heritage Properties Foundation in financing the project and from the site on which the building is located - the former Schuetzen Park. The living environment offered at Heritage Court is called "congregate" living -- a blend of independent living with services and amenities which enhance comfort, convenience, security and social relationships. It is not assisted living and does not include health care services, assistance with daily living skills or 24-hour staffing. Minimum age is 62, and rental is on a month-by-month basis, with no limits on income or assets.