Jones Home for Children
Why it's listed
Built in 1902 at 3518 West 25th Street in Cleveland, the Jones Home for Children is a two-story brick institutional building with a gambrel roof, pedimented dormers, a one-story entrance porch and a central cupola with a slightly pointed dome. The facade runs about 100 feet, with arched first-floor windows, keystone lintels above the second-floor windows, corner quoins and cornice modillions that reflect Georgian influence. The home was founded in the late 1880s by Carlos Jones, mayor of Brooklyn Village, and his wife on their 40-acre farm, to care for and educate destitute children. Early trustees included former President Rutherford B. Hayes. Cleveland architect Sidney R. Badgley, known for church and college work and for projects in many states, designed it, and Carey & Terwood built it for $25,000. It was listed as a rare surviving example of turn-of-the-century institutional architecture in a city where many similar buildings have been demolished. It continued to serve as a children's home.
Significance in brief: The building is presented as a rare and architecturally significant example of turn-of-the-century institutional architecture and an inspired example of Neocolonial design, with a gambrel roof, central cupola, quoins and cornice modillions. It was designed by Sidney R. Badgley, a Cleveland architect with a national reputation. It is also one of few surviving institutional buildings of its era in Cleveland, and it is tied to the home's founding by Mayor Carlos Jones.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 87002636, listed August 30, 1996. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 3518 W. Twenty-fifth St., Cleveland |
|---|---|
| County | Cuyahoga County |
| Listed | August 30, 1996 |
| Reference number | 87002636 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Architect Sidney R. Badgley (also spelled Badgely); builder Carey & Terwood |
| Architectural style | Neo-Colonial Revival (also described as Neocolonial and Neo-classic Revival) |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Exterior condition listed as excellent; the building was still used as a children's home, the same as its original use. The owner first objected to listing in 1985 and 1987, then withdrew the objection in 1996. |
| Acreage | 2 |
| Within district | Jones Home Subdivisions Historic District |
| Coordinates | 41.45844, -81.70149 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 87002636.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q137708457
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.