Association HistoryThe Builders Association of Northwestern Pennsylvania was formally chartered on October 31st, 1945 as the “Home Builders Association of Erie County”. The earliest records from formal meetings date back to December 6th, 1944 with Mr. Harry Baughman acting as temporary chairperson, and eventual first President from 1945 to 1946. The first organizational meeting was held at the Erie Club, under the sponsorship of First National Bank. There were twenty charter members. |
 One of the founding members, Mr. J. C. Spencer, opened the first meeting by stating, “…the world is divided into three major classes of people: the wreckers, the criticizers, and the BUILDERS…builders are those that get the satisfaction out of seeing the results of what they are doing.”
Those twenty individuals built an organization that declared its charter with the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) on January 22nd, 1951 and its non-profit status on February 28th, 1951, as evidenced by a decree issued by The Honorable Judge Burton Laub from the Erie County Court of Common Pleas and witnessed by Lawrence Taylor, Prothonotary of Erie County. (Note the name change to the “Builders Association of Northwestern Pennsylvania”). |
 In 1957, members built the Association’s first office building on West 26th Street, with the resources and donations of over 150 companies.
In 1988, due to the fact that the Association had outgrown its 26th Street facility, we moved our location to a new office, currently located at 2415 West Grandview Boulevard, sporting a membership of nearly 350, with donations for the building effort from nearly 2/3 of that membership . To showcase our new facility, the Association held a “Building Dedication Ceremony” on July 11th, 1988. In attendance were U.S. Congressman Tom Ridge (then, soon to be Governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and now, Director of Homeland Security for the U.S. Government), Millcreek Township Supervisors, and Mr. Ken Colton, the then Executive Vice President and CEO of NAHB. |
 1960 – 1st Annual Trade Show held at Penelec Electric Company
1979 – 1995 – “Better Living Expo” held annually at the Millcreek Mall 1996- Present – Home Show held annually at Family First Sports Park 1987-2007 – The Builders Association hosted the annual Parade of Homes April 8th – 11th, 2010 – The Builders Association hosts their 50th Annual Home Show at Family First Sports Park |