History of Jones Middle School

The neoclassical school building was designed by Ohio Stadium architect Howard Dwight Smith and opened on March 17, 1924, with six teachers and approximately 150 students from grades 1 to  6, according to newspaper archives. Grades 7 to 12 would later be added following the building’s expansion in 1926. 

The building was renamed Upper Arlington High School in 1939 with the opening of another Smith-designed school, Barrington Road Elementary School, and later served as a junior high school before it became known as Jones Middle School, after J.W. Jones, who had served as the building’s principal and the first full-time superintendent of the district.

In the 1990s, two initial architectural studies proposed demolition of the Jones Middle School, but a third proposal was chosen - to rehabilitate the historic school. A committee of teachers and parents together with the architect and contractor guided the work with respect for the historic character of the school. As a result, historic features and details remain inside and out. The auditorium was preserved, with tile walls and wood seats retained and air conditioning added. Classroom doors fitted with new ADA-compliant hardware were reinstalled, as were the original lockers. Although asbestos contamination necessitated removal of the plaster walls, care was taken to reinstate archways in the halls. The cafeteria and library addition was built in a former courtyard and another creative location was found for the elevator - in “found” space, where an old chimney had been. The three-year project took place while school was in session, and was used as a learning experience for students who toured future classrooms in hard hats. A local bond issue provided funding for the project, which cost $3 million less than the projected new construction costs.