Bruce Park

Acres: 5.8 This community park located in the Arlington neighborhood features a large playground and amenities for athletics. History: Bruce Park is located in Arlington, at the corner of Arlington and Rogero Roads. The park takes its name from Frederick W. Bruce (1845-1932), who with H. L. Sprinkle and others founded the Alderman Realty Co. in 1911. The company developed 1100 acres in Arlington, and established a ferry service across the St. Johns River from downtown’s Beaver Street to Arlington. Mr. Bruce was a civil engineer who worked on such projects as the construction of Henry Flagler’s hotels in St. Augustine and the jetty construction at Mayport. The opening of the Mathews Bridge in 1953 spurred twenty years of unprecedented growth in Arlington and the need for more recreational space. As trustees of land set aside for park purposes by Sprinkle and Bruce in 1924, the Arlington Community Club donated the property to Duval County in 1954. The park then opened in 1955 and was taken over by the City after consolidation in 1968.