First Presbyterian Church of Corning records

The church was organized July 1, 1811 in Knoxsville as the Presbyterian Church of Painted Post, and admitted to the Presbytery of Geneva in 1812. The ultimate result of at least two subsequent changes in Presbytery boundaries was the church's membership in the Chemung Presbytery. In 1843, the congregation's name was changed to the present one. Considerable controversy involving a temperance resolution, discussion of church governance, structure and personal differences among the membership resulted in the dismission of forty-six members who organized and built a second church in 1845, again called the Presbyterian Church of Painted Post. The two churches were reunited by act of the Presbytery in 1849, but evidently continued to worship separately. During the winter of 1863-1864 a revival assisted by the Evangelist Rev. O. Parker increased membership and helped finance the construction of a stone church which was completed in 1867.