Roddy Jones, the construction titan who helped shape modern Raleigh‘s distinctive skyline, has died at 88. Starting as a carpenter in his family’s Davidson and Jones Construction Company, he transformed the business from residential builds to massive commercial projects. His legacy includes Crabtree Valley Mall, the Civic Center, and the North Raleigh Hilton. Beyond construction, Jones championed education initiatives and served on multiple university boards. His story reveals how one visionary changed a small town into a thriving metropolis.
Construction titan and community pillar Roddy Jones, who helped transform Raleigh from a sleepy Southern town into a bustling metropolis, died at the ripe old number of 88. The son of construction maven Seby Jones started as a humble carpenter in his father’s company, Davidson and Jones Construction Company, which was founded back in 1935. Talk about working your way up.
Jones wasn’t content just hammering nails. He climbed the ladder to become president of the family business and made one heck of a gutsy move – shifting from building houses to tackling massive commercial projects. And boy, did that pay off. Under his watch, the company erected some of Raleigh’s most iconic structures: Crabtree Valley Mall, the Civic Center, and that swanky North Raleigh Hilton. He graduated from Needham B. Broughton High School before starting his journey in construction. Operating as a privately owned business, the company has remained in the family for four generations.
Jones transformed Davidson and Jones Construction from a residential builder into a commercial powerhouse, leaving his mark on Raleigh’s skyline forever.
But Jones wasn’t just about putting up buildings. He had this thing for education – maybe an obsession. He launched Wake Education Partnership, the initial local education fund in North Carolina. The guy couldn’t stay away from university boards, serving on everything from East Carolina University to Shaw University. He even got his hands dirty creating the Carolinas Construction Training Council. Because apparently, building half of Raleigh wasn’t enough.
His fingerprints are all over the city’s development, from the American Airlines terminal at RDU to Highwoods Business Park. Jones knew how to spot opportunity, and he grabbed it with both hands. He helped establish Highwoods Properties, which turned into a real estate powerhouse.
The community didn’t forget his contributions. They stuck him in both the Raleigh Hall of Fame and Wake County Public School System Hall of Fame. Not too shabby for a guy who started with a hammer and nails. His legacy lives on through the fourth generation of family involvement in Davidson and Jones Construction Company.
Jones wasn’t just building structures; he was building a city’s future. He took Raleigh from backwater to big time, and he did it with style. That’s not just construction – that’s vision.
