Walter Jones Park Boardwalk - Jacksonville, FL
Posted by: 
lazyCachers
N 30° 10.043 W 081° 38.865
17R E 437630 N 3337510
Located just off Mandarin Road in the Mandarin area of Jacksonville, Florida.
Waymark Code: WM5XYJ
Location: Florida, United States
Date Posted: 02/27/2009
Views: 7
Address:
11964 Mandarin Road
Jacksonville, FL 32223
The nearby sign states:
The Mandarin Boardwalk
"A Place for Socializing and Strolling"
Begun in 1855, the Mandarin Boardwalk extended over one nautical mile along the Mandarin riverfront, linking several piers and farmsteads to the general store. Built approximately four feet from the river's edge, the boardwalk was used by Mandarin residents until it eventually succumbed to wind and waves in the early 1900's.
The following information taken from the Mandarin Museum & Historical Society website: (
visit link)
Major William Webb purchased 31.2 acres on the St. Johns River in Mandarin in 1873. He built a home, barn and 1,000-foot dock extending into the St. Johns River. Major Webb cultivated oranges, potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers, strawberries and beans. The farm produce was shipped north on steamships that regularly stopped in Mandarin. Major Webb played an active role in the community, which by 1881 had a population of 1,200 people, 300 white residents and 900 black residents.
Walter Jones, proprietor of the Mandarin Store and Post Office, moved his family to the homestead in the early 1900s and his family members occupied the property until 1992.
The City of Jacksonville acquired 10 acres of Major Webb’s original homestead from the descendents of Walter Jones in 1994 for the purpose of creating the city’s first historical park. The property was developed and restored with support from the Florida Communities Trust and city and state grants. The site was dedicated as a City of Jacksonville Landmark and Landmark Site. The park opened to the public in August 2000. The park includes the farmhouse, barn, outbuildings, sawmill, nature trail along a riverfront boardwalk, picnic area and restrooms. The park and farmhouse are handicapped accessible.
The Mandarin Museum & Historical Society operates the park facilities under a contract with the city.
Following restoration, the farmhouse opened for public tours in August 2002. The society has furnished the house to reflect family life during the late 1890s and early 1900s.