L.J. Smith’s heritage of American craftsmanship reaches far back in time. It all began in 1885, when a gentleman, by the name of L.J. Smith, began making staircases and the stair parts for each in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In 1911, he moved his family to Conotton, Ohio, to continue the stairway business as “L.J. Smith and Son.” L.J. Smith and his son, along with seven other craftsmen, were very busy keeping up with the demand for their meticulously crafted circular stairways that were going into large homes throughout the south.