Pendleton Art Center, Middletown
Our second location in downtown Middletown Ohio. Studios open to the public on First Friday every month. A historic building on Central Avenue with a story that stretches back to the 1800s.
Next First Friday
June 5, 2026
Visit the artist studios in downtown Middletown. Open to the public the first Friday of every month.
First Friday details →Visit
Location & Access
Downtown Middletown, Central Avenue.
Full address and parking guidance on the First Friday page.
History of the building
Five lives in one building
The original Jacoby Building, from the mid-1800s, was demolished in the 1930s and replaced with the new structure that housed the Joy Shop.
The Joy Shop operated there until 1953, when the John Ross Store moved in and combined several store fronts into one.
By 1964 the Mabley & Carew Company from Cincinnati had purchased the building and opened a large department store. That store operated until the City Centre Mall was constructed and opened in 1974.
At that point Armco Steel Corporation took over ownership and remodeled the interior into offices.
Today the building is Pendleton Art Center Middletown — the fifth life of a structure that has hosted Middletown commerce and community continuously for nearly two centuries.