In 1909, George L. Barden teamed up with Roscoe J. Robeson in Penn Yan, New York, nestled in the heart of the Finger Lakes region, to form a lucrative partnership. Little did they know, the Barden and Robeson Corporation, which started with production of spokes and hubs for wagon wheels, would become a premier corporation that would continue to flourish for generations to come.

To accommodate the rapidly growing fruit trade in the Finger Lakes region, the Barden and Robeson Corporation changed its focus to bushel baskets in 1911. Business continued to grow and by the 1920's, wicker baby furniture was added to the company's product line. The 1940's brought World War II, which shifted Barden and Robeson's focus once again. Bushel basket and furniture production were put on hold in order to assist the US government in the war effort by assembling ammunition boxes.

With the advent of peace, bushel basket and furniture production returned to normal. A surplus of lumber from the ammunition box venture and a major push by the U.S. government for rapid housing in the United States, switched Barden and Robeson's focus yet again. By this time, three production facilities, located in Penn Yan, Middleport, and Lockport, were being utilized in full force, which prompted the endeavor of a new state-of-the-art product, Barden Homes.

Before long, both the Penn Yan and Middleport facilities were producing this exciting, new method of panelized home construction. Bushel basket and furniture production began a slow decline, while the demand for Barden Homes grew so quickly that in 1968, the company opened the doors to another production facility located in Homer, New York. By this time, three generations of Barden's: G.L. Barden and his son, Bryce, and Bryce's sons Rick and Tom, were also joined by Bob Gelder, a long time family friend, and together they steered the company to what it is today.