The roots for Tacoma contractor Jones & Roberts date back to Dolph Jones, who came to the Tacoma area in 1899 from Fortville, Ind. He had worked in construction since 1900 and started Dolph Jones Co. in 1913. Today, Lewis Jones Jr., Dolph’s grandson, is the company’s president.

Dolph first built homes in the Pierce County town of Wilkeson in the early 1900s. His first major commercial project was a school in Wilkeson that was finished in 1913 and still stands today. The school was shut down for a time and fell into a state of disrepair. It reopened in 1980 after a $3 million-plus remodel and is now on the Historic Register.

Dolph built many projects in the South Sound area, including Mason Junior High, Kittridge Hall at the University of Puget Sound, the gymnasium at Pacific Lutheran University, Manitou Park Elementary School, Doctor’s Hospital, Harrison Hospital and the Tacoma Public Library.

In 1965, the company formed a joint venture with Concrete Construction Co. to repair a spillway at Tacoma City Light’s Mayfield Dam. The two companies decided to merge as a result of that project, creating Jones & Roberts Co.

The merger with Concrete Construction brought on Frank Roberts and his list of local accomplishments since founding his company in 1952 with Ab Bergersen. Included are the Tacoma City Light parking garage, Titlow Swimming Pool, the Carpenters’ Union Hall, Sumner Stadium and many road projects, including the Renton "S-curves."

In the mid-1970s, the firm moved to Olympia because it determined the business climate was better there at the time. Jones & Roberts has gone on to build numerous other schools in the area, including the new Manitou Park Elementary, as well as several bank buildings and smaller city halls. Current projects include the $4 million Lydia Hawk Elementary School for the North Thurston School District and a $6 million project for Clover Park Technical College.