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Community and History

For the last 162 years, the same time Corning, NY was incorporated - first as a village, later a city - the Corning Building Company has operated, making it one of the oldest existing businesses in Corning.

Take a walk through the growth of the company and the strong links we have with the community.
 
1848 Walker & Turner Hardware is founded by Charles C.B. Walker and Horace Turner.
  1857 Walker buys out Turner, forming the Walker Company.
  1865 Walker takes on Austin Lathrop as partner, expanding into lumber business as Walker & Lathrop.
  1872 Fire destroys Mill Street Planning Mill; Walker & Lathrop buys competitor's mill on Tioga Avenue and Cedar Street.
  1879 Telephone line is placed from Walker & Lathrop Store to their planning mill, one block east.
  1884 Fire destroy's Walker and Lathrop's Cedar Street mill; larger one built.
  1888 Walker dies and his widow, Maria D. Walker, takes control of the Walker Company.
  1891 Walker's sons-in-law, C. Glen Cole and James A. Drake, take over management.
  1894 Cole and Drake buy company, renaming it Drake and Company.
  1903 Drake and Company builds Corning Court House.
  1905 The company is incorporated as Corning Building Company, with Cole named president and William T. Smith named treasurer.
  1905 CBC buys Corning Coal Company.
1920 Smith takes over as president after death of Cole.
1933 William T. Smith retires and James W. Smith takes over as president.
  1933 CBC buys site for Pine Street store and former Cole Drug Store on Market Street to convert into CBC's paint department.
  1940 CBC reacquires hardware business, which had been sold in 1890; Ready-Mix Concrete Department is added.
  1947 Pine Street store opens, located where the Corning Revere store is now.
1968 James A. Smith becomes CBC president; his father J.W. Smith, becomes chairman of executive committee.
  1972 Flood hits Twin Tiers, washes out CBC facilities. Company gets supplies directly from distributor, sells from back of tractor-trailer trucks.
  1976 CBC moves all of its operations into former FBC plaza in South Corning, opening 42,000 square foot main store, building lumber and storage space behind.
  1983 Furniture department moves from main store to former Super Duper in CBC Plaza.
  1986 Main store expands to 45,000 square feet.
  1990 CBC announces that number of employees passes 100 mark.
  1993 Scott W. Smith replaces his father, James A. Smith, as president.
  1996 CBC opens store in Bath.
1998 Matt Smith becomes CBC president.

Copyright © 2006 The Corning Building Co.