Barnes & Cone began manufacturing Concrete Block in Syracuse in 1926 when Glenn Barnes and Allen Cone began the first automated Concrete Block plant in Upstate New York. Our plant is located on what was farmlands in 1926 near where Exit 35 of the New York State Thruway was to be built 28 years later.
Masonry has a great history in our region. Central New York was the birthplace of the American Cement Industry. In 1818 Canvas White, an engineer building the Erie Canal, discovered that the limestone rock in the area could be processed into natural cement and used as mortar for the massive stone used to build the Erie Canal. The large population of masons in our region can be traced back to when Irish and Italian immigrants came to New York State to build our canals.
Today Barnes & Cone uses that same deposit of limestone discovered by Canvas White in 1818 to manufacture the concrete block and landscape walls that we ship throughout the region. Most of the significant buildings in Syracuse contain block made on our machines.
Our dedicated employees are recognized for the quality products they produce and the service they provide our customers. I encourage you to explore our outdoor landscape displays and review the innovative products shown in this website, particularly in the areas of energy performance and carbon reduction.
Welcome to Barnes & Cone
Kaleen & Jack Sessler,
Owners