Little Joe Tower

Little Joe Tower is a landmark structure in Corning, New York, United States.

Little Joe Tower
Little Joe Tower, seen behind Corning's headquarters.
Location within New York Show map of New York Little Joe Tower (the United States) Show map of the United States
General information
Town or city	Corning, New York
Country	United States
Coordinates	42°08′42.9108″N 77°03′27.738″W
Completed	1912 or 1913
Owner	Corning Inc.
Height	187 feet (57 m)

The tower was built in either 1912^[1][2] or 1913^[3][4] by Corning Glass Works (now known as Corning Incorporated). The construction came during a period of growth for the company, and the 187-foot (57 m) tower was used in drawing glass for thermometer tubes.^[1][2] To create the thermometers, in a process known as "vertical draw", the heated glass was pulled up the length of the tower using a cable, to form a continuous tube that was later cooled and cut to required sizes.^[5] By the 1940s, advancements in drawing technology reduced the use of the tower,^[1] and in June 1973, the tower was decommissioned.^[2] However, the company continues to maintain the building, which the Star-Gazette claims is "the Corning area's best known landmark".^[6]

On the outside of the white tower is a blue stenciled silhouette of "Little Joe", a glassblower, giving the tower its name.^[3][4] The symbol of the gaffer, or glassblower, was originally created in 1880 from a sketch made by an itinerant painter who has visited a glass factory in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.^[5] The symbol has undergone various modifications over time, and has become a Corning Inc. trademark.^[5]

In 1999, the tower was repainted, and in 2015, the tower experienced a renovation that began in May and ended in August.^[2]