Clarksburg Chronicles

Cornerstone Candy, an upcoming business planned for the former Merchants National Bank building in the heart of downtown, will offer everything from ice cream and popcorn to hard candy, handcrafted chocolates, ice cream and old-fashioned soda jerks — with an emphasis on creating an experience for families and visitors.

CEO Richard Swiger said the idea started unexpectedly after the building went up for auction.

“We saw the building go up (for auction),” Swiger said. “And in all honesty, we had no interest in that building or any of the other ones at first.”
But once Swiger and his family toured the space, the decision quickly became about more than business.

“The building itself (is), in my mind, the prettiest building in downtown Clarksburg,” he said, describing the Romanesque architecture and detailing inside. “That building needs to stay intact.”

Swiger said hearing others discuss removing pieces of the building including fixtures and the old bank safe helped push him toward buying it.

“So we decided that we didn’t want anyone tearing it down or tearing it up,” he said. “So we put a budget, watched the bids … and honestly that was pretty exciting through the process, and we got it.”

From there, the business concept came together through family conversation and the realization of a lifelong dream.

“My wife said to me, ‘Why don’t you just put your chocolate factory in there?’” Swiger said. “Since we have been married and ever since I was a kid, I’ve always wanted a chocolate factory. And it was more of a pipe dream than anything. So we talked about it for a moment and said, ‘Let’s do it.’”

Swiger said he believes a candy store is the kind of business that can appeal to nearly everyone and bring new life to downtown.

“Tell me one other product or a retail store that will make you feel like a kid outside of a candy store,” he said. “It appeals to kids from the age 2 years old all the way up to 100 years old.”

Swiger later said Cornerstone Candy is designed as a family-friendly destination, especially for children who need more activities in the area.

“I believe kids need something to do in the Clarksburg area,” he said. “There just doesn’t seem to be much, and this is about as kid-friendly as you can ever get. We’re going to have a lot of fun with it.”

Early plans for the first floor include a retail space, a “kids’ corner,” and interactive options such as making custom chocolate bars. Swiger said the store is aiming for variety, including “40 to 50 different types” of chocolate options, as well as the possibility of letting customers make their own sodas.

The business is also partnering with a well-known local name in sweets.

“We are literally teaming up with Wolfe’s Candy,” Swiger said. The company has purchased Wolfe’s recipes and will receive help getting started. “We want to be able to make sure we have the right people in the right place, make it more about the experience, less about a product,” Swiger said.

While production will start small and focus on the retail operation, Swiger said the team is looking toward expanded use of the second floor in the future, potentially including tours.

For Swiger, this massive project is also personal, rooted in family tradition and Clarksburg’s past.

“My grandmother would make homemade chocolate, homemade candies and homemade fudge,” he said. “We’ve got those recipes. Those are going to be a part of it.”

But Cornerstone Candy is also a family story and the Swigers say that’s the heart of their business.

Tristan Swiger, the couple’s son, said he’s most looking forward to the ice cream side of the shop.

“I’m probably looking forward to the ice cream part of it the most,” he said. “I’ve always loved ice cream. Every time we go on a cruise or anything, it’s probably the first thing I think of.”

While Tristan said he’s “excited to learn” the candy-making process, he joked he may not be the one doing all the hands-on work.
“I’m excited to learn it,” he said. “I’m not as excited to make it and everything.”

Kylie Swiger, the family’s daughter, said she hopes to become the welcoming face customers see first when they walk in.

“I kind of want to be, like, the first face that you see,” she said. “I want to greet people.”

Kylie said she also wants to help with production, noting she and her father have already been practicing candy-making at home.

“Me and Dad have been working on a bunch of stuff at home,” she said. “Every day after school, we’ll try to do something different and make something.”

Swiger said the family has been experimenting with candy canes and perfecting a fudge recipe that goes back generations.

“That’s my grandmother’s recipe,” he said, adding Kylie has worked to get it right. “Her fudge is delicious.”

Kathy Swiger, Richard’s wife said watching the business take shape has felt almost unreal and fueled by the kind of momentum that comes when a community gets behind something.

“I think it’s been fun to watch everything fall into place,” she said. “Somehow, some way, by the grace of God, all of it has fallen into place.”

She said the project has moved fast, gaining traction in just a couple months, with residents offering ideas and encouragement along the way.

“People have kind of helped us, guide us and push us,” she said.

Swiger mentioned the name “Cornerstone” was chosen after considering multiple options, inspired by the building’s location and its potential role in downtown’s future.

“That’s kind of like the cornerstone building of the whole town,” he said. “Right there on the corner, too.”

He said he believes the business could become a regional attraction, drawing travelers to exit the highway and stop in Clarksburg just to visit.

“I do believe it will become a regional attraction where people are passing through Clarksburg and have to get off the exit just to come check this place out,” he said.

The family said the business is designed to be entertainment-focused, and the response from job seekers has been immediate. Swiger said after applications were released, the business received more than 50 resumes by the next morning.

Swiger said the larger mission goes beyond the Swiger family and even beyond ownership.

“This is not just a project for the Swiger family,” he said. “This is the project for the city of Clarksburg and all the residents.”

Ultimately, Swiger said he hopes the business becomes a lasting fixture downtown one that survives changing ownership and generations.

“I hope this outlives all of us and the cornerstone stays there,” he said.
Swiger said bringing those recipes into a new downtown business feels like coming full circle, especially with his children involved in the process.

“To be able to have my daughter and my son come in there and be a part of something like this … with the goal of bringing life to Clarksburg, just like the way my grandmother told me it was,” he said.

As the opening approaches, Swiger said he’s looking forward to one moment more than any ribbon-cutting.

“I want to see the first smile,” he said. “That’s probably what will stay with me the most, seeing the first kid smile.”
Swiger then credited community support for helping fuel the project.

“The outstanding amount of community support that seems to be behind this project has been incredible,” he said. “It won’t be easy, but with the support that we’ve been receiving, my gosh, it feels like we can just muster right through.”