JaxParks

Henry T. Jones Park is located south of Emerson Street in Southside. The area was settled after the Civil War, mostly by freed slaves and other African-Americans who worked for businesses and residents of South Jacksonville. The City acquired the land for the park in 1978. Originally known as Pine Forest Park, the name was changed in 1998 by City Council resolution. The Park location, with a school and community center across the street, is a focal point for the area. Henry T. Jones, a masonry contractor, built the Park’s swimming pool, and over forty years ago organized the Pine Forest Community Action Committee to prevent the neighborhood from being industrialized and destroyed. In 2002, the pool complex received a renovation as part of the City’s special efforts to improve the community.