Our Story

About CornellCookson

CornellCookson is a leading rolling door and grille manufacturer with facilities in Mountain Top, PA and Goodyear, AZ. The company produces custom closure solutions found in stadiums, hospitals, hotels and museums, along with a variety of facilities where reliability, security and life safety is vital. CornellCookson is committed to providing high quality, domestically manufactured solutions, and its brands have operated within the United States since 1828 and 1938. Products are sold through a network of more than 700 Cornell and Cookson dealer partners worldwide to ensure competitive pricing through equal and alternate brands.

Our History

1800-1856

1862-1886

1897-1905

1906-1926

1929-1952

1965-2003

July 29, 1828

The New York American announces that George Cornell and Samuel B Althause took over Benjamin Birdsall's business and formed Cornell & Althause, manufacturers of plain and ornamental ironwork.

1848

A trade advertisement for J.B. & W.W. Cornell highlights railings, fire-proof chests, grates, fenders, and bedsteads that feature, “durability and freedom from bugs”.

1854

J.B. Cornell patents a method of joining metal slats for revolving shutters for store windows.

1856 John Black Cornell, 1821-1887

J.B. Cornell patents a metallic surface for fireproof partitions that support plaster. This invention enabled the construction of high-rise fireproof buildings. “That the large increase in the use of iron for fire proof architecture is attributable to the Messrs. Cornell no one can doubt who examines the files of the patent office”. The brothers added a foundry to their plant that same year.

1862

The firm provides gun turrets and spare parts for Miantonomoh and Amphitrite which were Monitor class warships used in the civil war.

1870

After the death of W.W., a new partnership between J.B. and his son J.M. is formed, with shops at 26th Street and 11th Avenue.

1880

The works of J.B. & J.M Cornell became one of the largest manufacturing operations in New York City, employing 1,200 at its peak. It provided steel and iron work for The Product Exchange, probably the largest ironwork contract ever given in New York City, The Havemeyer Building, The US Trust Building, and over 13,000 tons of elevated railroad structure for New York and Brooklyn Stations.

1883-1886

The firm provided circular stairs and ironwork for the Brooklyn Bridge and the iron base and stairways for the Statue of Liberty. It was the largest customer of the Carnegie Steel Company at the time.

1897

J.B. & J.M. purchase West Point Foundry and Machine Shops situated at Cold Spring, on the Hudson River in New York State. The Foundry made iron and steel for buildings, castings and machinery as well as ordinance. The combined companies had capacity to provide 200 tons of castings per day.

1898

Cornell provides 8,000 tons of structural steel work for Park Row Building in New York City. At the time, this building was the tallest building in the world.

1898

The bronze gate is counterbalanced, traveling up and down securing the Exchange Court Building in New York City.

Early 1900's

The firm liquidates its heavy production shops as steel and pg iron production move west. The firm began to reduce its production of heavy iron for structural uses and focused on the rolling door business, as an advertisement of the day illustrates.

1906

The first Sweet's Catalog appears featuring the work of J.B. & J.M. Cornell. Sweets has gone on to become the premier architectural building product directory.

1911- Milton Longacre Cornell, 1884-1958

J.M. forms a new company with his sons, Milton and John. Called Cornell Iron Works, it focused on the production of rolling door products.

1925

Cornell moved from 26th Street and 11th Avenue to 36th Avenue and 13th Street in Long Island City.

1926

Cornell provides rolling security doors for New York's sanitation trucks.

1929

J.B. Cornell demonstrates the operation of a wooden rolling grille.

1931

Cornell introduces the metal security grille or mall grille to the United States market.

1938

Cornell builds portcullis doors at the cloisters addition of the Museum of Modern Art. These doors replicate the earliest form of overhead doors.

1938

Harold W. Cookson Sr. and his wife, Dorothy Cookson start The Cookson Company. Operating in a 2,300 square foot plant, their first order is for an 8' x 10' service door that sold for $92.

1947

Harold W. Cookson Jr. and Robert A. Cookson, sons of Harold Sr. and Dorothy, join the family business after returning home from the war. David E. Cookson later joins in 1957.

1952

Through the thirties and forties Cornell produced wood sectional doors because steel was hard to afford during the depression and unavailable during the war. We discontinued this product line in 1952.

1952

Cookson introduces the first extruded aluminum counter door.

1957

The first Cookson counter fire door is produced.

1960

Cookson introduces the first prepainted slat curtain. The color gray is selected because it is the most popular color as determined by a survey of architects.

1965

Cornell moves all production from its Long Island City plant to a newly built facility "out west" in Mountain Top, Pennsylvania.

1978

Needing additional space, Cornell acquires the Oceana facility across the street.

1978

The Gastonia, N.C. , manufacturing facility is started. Robert's sons, Bob and Jim Cookson, run the facility.Pictured below is the Gastonia facility in 1978 and the same facility after two renovations completed in 1985.

1980

Cookson introduces FinalCote, the first finish-painted rolling door. The color tan is selected to match the earth-tone buildings in the Southeast. Tan soon becomes an industry standard.

1990

Cookson's headquarters and and western manufacturing facility move from San Francisco to Phoenix, Arizona.

1991

Bob, Jim, and Richard Cookson assume ownership of The Cookson Company.

1997

Cornell wins the Family Business of the Year Award for the State of Pennsylvania for companies with 50-250 employees. US Congressman Paul Kanjorski gives the award.

2000

Cornell earns ISO 9002 Registration, demonstration its commitment to increasing company efficiency and to continuous manufacturing process improvement. The same year, Cornell Iron Works, is honored as one of the "Best Places to Work in PA" with an award from PA Governor Tom Ridge and the Team Pennsylvania Board.

2001

Cornell opens a new 188,000 square-foot state-of-the-art production facility in Mountain Top, PA. The single location affords space for more efficient production methods, as well as room for future growth. The new facility is dedicated to M. Keen Cornell, president of Cornell from 1969 to 1997.

2003

In July of 2003, Cornell celebrates its 175th Anniversary, proving that whether they are seeking quality, performance, reliability or overall satisfaction, for 175 years customers have known that they can depend on Cornell. Later in 2003, Cornell earns upgraded ISO 9001:2000 registration, continuing its demonstration of commitment to increasing company efficiency and to continuous process improvement from product design through manufacturing.

2007

The Cookson family receives IDA's prestigious Heritage Award, recognizing Cookson's contribution to the well-being and heritage of the door and access systems industry.

Learn More About The Cornell and Cookson History

Our history book covers the good times, the challenging times, and how the company you see today has weathered the test of time.

Our History Book

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Need More Help?
CONTACT US

CornellCookson Logo_Website

24 Elmwood Avenue
Mountain Top, PA 18707
Phone: 800.233.8366