Short answer: Treaty Oak Park is the City of Jacksonville's Jessie Ball duPont Park at 1123 Prudential Drive, which the City calls home of the Treaty Oak, in the Southbank area. A 2023 City forestry entry describes the tree as a 250 year old live oak, 70 feet tall, with a crown spreading over 145 feet. The City says Times Union reporter Pat Moran coined the name Treaty Oak while writing a fictitious story, and no official source checked records a treaty there.
Last verified: October 19, 2026, against the sources listed at the end of this page.
Where is Treaty Oak Park in Jacksonville, and what is there?
The park around the Treaty Oak is Jessie Ball duPont Park, a City of Jacksonville park at 1123 Prudential Drive in the Southbank area that the City calls home of the Treaty Oak.
The City's park listing gives the address as 1123 Prudential Drive, Jacksonville, FL 32207, and lists its amenities as benches, car parking, picnic tables, security lighting and trash barrels (City of Jacksonville, Jessie Ball DuPont Park). The listing does not post opening hours or an entry fee. For a city service request about the park, the same page lists MyJax at (904) 630-CITY (2489). Last verified: October 18, 2026, against the City park listing for Jessie Ball duPont Park, two Urban Forestry pages, the Historic Preservation Section page and the state's Duval County marker list.
Visitors searching maps for the Southbank park should look for both names, since the City files it under Jessie Ball duPont Park while the tree itself carries the Treaty Oak name on the City's forestry pages. The City page names no restrooms or playground among the amenities.
How big and how old is the Treaty Oak?
The City of Jacksonville's Urban Forestry program describes the Treaty Oak as a 250 year old live oak with a trunk over 25 feet around, a height of 70 feet and a crown spreading over 145 feet.
| Measure | City figure |
|---|---|
| Species | Live oak, Quercus virginiana |
| Age | 250 years, as stated in 2023 |
| Trunk circumference | Over 25 feet |
| Height | 70 feet |
| Crown spread | Over 145 feet |
| Shaded area | A roughly circular area about 190 feet in diameter |
These figures come from the Urban Forestry tree topic of the month entry titled The Treaty Oak, dated June 2, 2023, which also describes twisting branches that bow to the ground and curl back up (City of Jacksonville Urban Forestry, tree of the month). The age comes from that June 2, 2023, entry; no City page fetched for this guide gives a planting date or a measured core age. The Urban Forestry home page repeats the same description under its tree of the month heading (City of Jacksonville, Urban Forestry).
Where does the name Treaty Oak come from, and was a treaty signed there?
The City of Jacksonville says Times Union reporter Pat Moran coined the name Treaty Oak while writing a fictitious story about how white settlers and Indians met under the tree to sign peace treaties.
That account is on the City's own park page, which places it within 1930s efforts by the Garden Club, Jessie duPont and Moran to preserve the tree (City of Jacksonville, park history). No City page fetched for this guide records any treaty signed at the site.
The state's historical marker program does not supply a competing account. The Florida Division of Historical Resources list of Duval County markers, checked October 18, 2026, contains no marker titled for the Treaty Oak or for Jessie Ball duPont Park; the only treaty the list mentions is the 1898 Treaty of Paris, in a marker about volunteer soldiers sent to Cuba (Florida Division of Historical Resources, Duval County markers).
How did the land around the Treaty Oak become a city park?
The land around the Treaty Oak passed from an amusement park to a donated city park between 1907 and 1971, when the City named it for Jessie duPont.
| Year | Event the City records |
|---|---|
| 1907 | Dixieland Park, an amusement complex covering most of the site, opens |
| 1930s | The Garden Club, Jessie duPont and reporter Pat Moran begin efforts to preserve the tree |
| Around 1934 | Jessie duPont and the Alfred I. duPont Foundation buy the land containing the tree |
| 1964 | The land with the tree is donated to the City |
| 1964 to 1971 | The City acquires the remainder of the property |
| 1971 | The park is named in honor of Jessie duPont, 1884 to 1970 |
| 1995 | A major project to preserve the tree and enhance the park is completed |
The City describes Jessie duPont as an ardent philanthropist and part-time Jacksonville resident, and credits the 1995 project to the City together with private groups and individuals (City of Jacksonville, Jessie Ball DuPont Park). The park page closes by saying there are currently plans to enhance the park and protect the tree, without naming a project, budget or schedule.
Which City program features the Treaty Oak, and what does it do?
The City of Jacksonville's Urban Forestry program in Public Works features the Treaty Oak on its home page and links the City's tree planting, trimming and removal services.
Urban Forestry says its goals are met by maintaining the tree canopy in the city, planting new trees, conducting research and working with the local community, and it lists reduced urban heat, reduced stormwater runoff, cleaner air and wildlife habitat among the benefits (City of Jacksonville, Urban Forestry). The home page links to tree mitigation, the Tree Commission, tree trimming, tree removal and planting requests, and lists current planting projects such as the John Gorrie Dog Park, Alexandria Oaks, Willowbranch Park and Love Grove, and Greenland Park.
The Urban Forestry FAQ sets out how the City treats its trees in general (City of Jacksonville, Urban Forestry FAQ). It says healthy trees are protected under the City's tree ordinance and will not be removed just because they may be cracking nearby infrastructure, that the program's removal budget is limited to removing hazards from the City's urban forests, and that the Tree Commission has developed an approved tree list for city parks and rights of way that serves as a guide for planting in Duval County. None of those general rules is stated on the City pages for the Treaty Oak itself, so they describe the program rather than a specific plan for the Southbank tree.
The first project in progress listed on the Urban Forestry page is titled 630-CITY Tree Plantings (City of Jacksonville, Urban Forestry projects); 630-CITY is the City's MyJax line, posted as (904) 630-CITY (2489) on the Jessie Ball duPont Park page (City of Jacksonville, MyJax contact).
Is the Treaty Oak a designated historic landmark?
None of the official Jacksonville pages checked for this guide states that the Treaty Oak or Jessie Ball duPont Park is a designated local landmark, and the City's online list of historic designations is marked coming soon.
Local landmark status in Jacksonville runs through the Historic Preservation Section of the Planning Department, which reviews work affecting registered local landmarks through the Certificate of Appropriateness process and supports the Jacksonville Historic Preservation Commission, the body that recommends designation of local landmarks and districts to the City Council (City of Jacksonville, Historic Preservation Section). The section's page offers a search by address tool and shows its Historic Designations tile as coming soon. Staff can be reached at 214 North Hogan Street, Suite 300, Jacksonville, FL 32202, by phone at (904) 255-7800 or by email at [email protected], which is the office to ask before repeating any claim that the oak carries a formal designation.
Frequently asked questions
What is the address of Treaty Oak Park in Jacksonville?
The City of Jacksonville lists Jessie Ball duPont Park, home of the Treaty Oak, at 1123 Prudential Drive, Jacksonville, FL 32207, in the Southbank area.
How old is the Treaty Oak?
The City's Urban Forestry program called the Treaty Oak a 250 year old live oak in its June 2, 2023, tree of the month entry. No City page checked gives a planting date or a measured age.
Was a treaty really signed under the Treaty Oak?
The City of Jacksonville park page says reporter Pat Moran coined the name while writing a fictitious story about settlers and Indians signing peace treaties under the tree. No official source checked records a treaty at the site.
Is there parking at Treaty Oak Park?
Yes. The City lists car parking among the amenities at Jessie Ball duPont Park, along with benches, picnic tables, security lighting and trash barrels.
Why is Treaty Oak Park called Jessie Ball duPont Park?
The City says Jessie duPont and the Alfred I. duPont Foundation bought the land with the tree around 1934 and donated it in 1964, and the park was named in her honor in 1971.
Sources
- City of Jacksonville, Jessie Ball DuPont Park https://www.jacksonville.gov/departments/parks-and-recreation/jaxparks/all-parks/jessie-ball-dupont-park Used for: address, amenities, MyJax line, park history, origin of the Treaty Oak name, 1995 project, current plans
- City of Jacksonville Urban Forestry, Tree Topic of the Month https://www.jacksonville.gov/departments/public-works/urban-forestry/tree-of-the-month Used for: Treaty Oak species, 250 year figure dated June 2, 2023, trunk, height, crown, shaded area
- City of Jacksonville, Urban Forestry https://www.jacksonville.gov/departments/public-works/urban-forestry Used for: Urban Forestry goals and benefits, tree services, projects in progress, Treaty Oak feature
- City of Jacksonville, Historic Preservation Section https://www.jacksonville.gov/departments/planning-department/community-planning-division/historic-preservation-section Used for: landmark designation process, JHPC role, contact, designations list coming soon
- City of Jacksonville, Urban Forestry FAQ https://www.jacksonville.gov/departments/public-works/urban-forestry/faq Used for: healthy trees protected by ordinance, hazard-only removal budget, Tree Commission approved tree list for parks and rights of way
- Florida Division of Historical Resources, Florida historical markers, Duval County https://apps.flheritage.com/markers/markers.cfm?county=duval Used for: no state marker for the Treaty Oak; Treaty of Paris mention only
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