[1] The school is located in the center of the Upper Arlington Historic District, at the end of the Mallway.

The site that is now Jones Middle School previously served as Camp Willis, a military training camp during World War I.

This is noted by a plaque near the Arlington Avenue side of the site.

The neo-classical school building was designed by Ohio Stadium architect Howard Dwight Smith and completed in 1924.

[2][3] It served as the first permanent school in Upper Arlington, serving grades 1–6; grades 7-12 were added to the building following its 1926 expansion.