The first record of a Methodist Church in the Adams County seat of Corning can be traced to 1868, when services were held on the second floor of the Bud and Crowley Hardware building. The first permanent church was constructed in 1871, with a large addition added in 1882. The building served members until 1908, when the decision was made to construct a new facility via a 20-2 vote by board members.
The church was built at a cost of $22,000 and was dedicated debt-free on January 9, 1910. A $5,000 Carnegie pipe organ was installed in 1913. An educational wing was added to the building in 1967.
In October 1896, fire destroyed 23 buildings in the Adams County seat of Corning, including the home of the newly-formed library and its 500-book collection. Within a few months, $200 was raised, additional books were donated, and a new library was opened in a room over the Z.T. Widner store. The store was the first of three library locations before a permanent, $2,500 building was constructed in 1900.
Later that year, a municipal tax was approved, brining $639 annually to support the library. After 30 years in the location, Mrs. F.C. Okey gave $10,000 to the library board for expansion, and the pictured building was constructed shortly after. A $200,000 expansion was constructed to the west of the original library in 1981. The library purchased its first computer, an Apple IIe, in November 1983.
In 1900, George W. Blazer moved from the Adams County seat of Corning to the unincorporated community of Brooks and formed the the first local bank, “Bank of Brooks.” The bank was operated within a corner of O.T. Muzzy’s General Store before before a new wood frame building was constructed in 1902. The Brooks location was updated in 1920, with a new cement block exterior and reinforced vault.
Bank robberies were attempted twice in a three year period in the early 1960s, prompting bank owners to relocate to Corning, which offered better police protection. The current facility was purchased in 1966 and opened as the new home for the Bank of Brooks on February 4, 1963. The bank was one of the last three private banks in the state to be operated as a Banking Partnership. Following the collapse of the Exchange Bank in Bloomfield in September 1983, the bank applied for F.D.I.C. Insurance and a State Bank Charter. It was renamed the State Bank of Brooks on June 22, 1984.
The United Methodist Church in the unincorporated Adams County community of Corning can trace its history to the 1850s when first services were held in local homes. Services were then held in a Methodist seminary building before a permanent church was constructed in 1883. A fire destroyed the original church structure in the fall of 1922, but funds were quickly raised, and the present facility was constructed the following year.
In 2007, the church underwent extensive updating, including new interior painting and carpet, a new alter, refurbished cross, and framing of stained glass windows from the Corning Baptist Church. In 2008, the exterior received a new coat of paint. An 125-year anniversary celebration was held on June 29, 2008. With around 40 members, the small church averages 15 attendees weekly. It shares a pastor with nearby United Methodist churches in Carl and Carbon.
The Adams County House of History in Corning served as the jail and sheriff’s office from 1877 until 1955. The building was turned into a museum in 1969, after being purchased by funds raised via an effort spearheaded by Mr. and Mrs. Harry Sickler. The second floor houses an archives gallery, the first floor contains a number of museum exhibits, while the basement is home to the original dining room and kitchen used by the sheriff and his family in addition to jail cells and barred windows. The 135-year-old building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1991.
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