The substantial and prosperous looking home of Joshua Jones is large but stylistically uncomplicated. Research indicates that the house was built in the early 1790s upon the site of an earlier house. Jones purchased it in 1796. Born and raised on the Jones family farm near Little Harbor, Joshua decided to seek his fortune in town. The fact that his father and uncle were both boat builders may provide a clue to the appeal this property held for him. When listed for sale in 1794 it included "a large Shop, now improved by a Boat builder," but apparently Jones never took up the trade.

Joshua Jones was probably typical of many men in eighteenth century Portsmouth who possessed no special skills, but who worked hard at a variety of jobs, provided well for their families, and comprised the backbone of the community. Jones at various times listed himself as yeoman, farmer, weigher of grains, truckman, and trader.

The location of his house, where Atkinson Street ended at Puddle Dock and overlooking the bustling activity of this small waterway would have been ideal for someone pursuing such a variety of work. The large size of the dwelling, with its ell, was also an advantage for Jones. With a wife and ten children, he needed all the room it provided. Joshua Jones must have been pleased with his house; he lived in it for nearly half a century from 1796 until his death in 1843.

Architecturally Jones House provides two different impressions. Approached from the west its gabled roof and pedimented doorway make it appear typical of many eighteenth-century Georgian style Portsmouth houses. Viewed from the east, its hipped roof where the ell is joined and its shallow roof overhang link it more closely with the Federal period. This duality is indicative of the period of its construction, the 1790s, a time when an older style was slowly making way for a new one. Many people wanted elements of the new, but were not ready to break completely with the past.

As with many buildings used as rental property for long periods of time, Jones House underwent many alterations after it left the Jones family. Fortunately, the lower front room to the east retains its Federal molding and wainscoting and remains essentially as it was when constructed. The west front room, with its later Greek Revival decoration, provides an excellent opportunity to contrast styles.

Jones House has been restored through the generosity of Mr. & Mrs. Edward V. French and now serves as Strawbery Banke's Archaeology Center, containing archaeological exhibits and laboratories.