Mandarin

Still one of the fastest-growing communities in Jacksonville, Mandarin offers something for young and old alike. Whether you’re seeking a starter home or a large riverfront showplace, Mandarin offers it all. This community’s beauty has been chronicled through the ages. In her book, Palmetto Leaves, author Harriet Beecher Stowe tells about her life in Florida and refers to Mandarin as “a tropical paradise.” Stowe, who also wrote the anti-slave classic, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, made Mandarin her home in 1867 when she bought 30 acres and built a large home overlooking the St. Johns River. She was later joined by other family members who pitched in to help set up a small citrus grove and also build a small school where she educated former slaves.

 

Each year, around Easter time, Mandarin hosts a popular arts festival at the community arts center. Today, the pulse of Mandarin is the long and winding San Jose Boulevard and St. Augustine Road, which both offer everything from retail shops, strip centers, and a multitude of restaurants. Travel further into Mandarin and you won’t see Harriet Beecher Stowe’s home, but you will see everything from gated communities to new subdivisions offering many different home choices. The Mandarin Museum and Historical Society has worked hard over the years to restore historic buildings that once served as the community’s center, including a circa 1911 Post Office. The organization also recently re-dedicated Walter Jones Historical Park, which fronts the river and includes restored homes of the Jones family.