Charter Point
Arlington’s foundation is its large collection of distinct and unique neighborhoods. Once a rural area with half dozen enclaves, scores of subdivisions sprung up in the decades following the 1953 opening of the Mathews Bridge. These developments bonded into neighborhoods, whose associations bonded into councils, that would serve as a model for Jacksonville civic involvement today.
The Charter Point neighborhood is nestled along the St. Johns River on the northern portion of the peninsula that occurs where the river turns east towards the ocean. Like many riverfront portions of Arlington, the area is rich in Native American history and archeology, with documented mounds and middens.
The 120 acre community is located on estates formerly owned by the George Ferber and George Fisher families. The area was part of the historic Chaseville community, named after Samuel Chase, who after the Civil War, built a shipyard on the point. At its height in the late 1800s, Chaseville had approximately 40 families and nearly 300 residents.
Charter Point’s rise and development as a subdivision occurred throughout the 1970s, and paralleled that of its holding company, The Charter Company, a massive network of oil, insurance, real estate and other interests. The Charter Company climbed to No. 61 on the Fortune 500 list Jacksonville’s only Fortune 100 business ever – and bestowed on the neighborhood not only its name, but its iconic acorn logo as well.