Harrison Brothers Hardware

Established 1879

Harrison Brothers, the oldest operating hardware store in Alabama, was founded in 1879 when James B. and Daniel T. Harrison opened a tobacco shop on Jefferson Street. In 1897 they purchased this building on South Side Square and expanded into the adjoining building in 1902. Both buildings were remodeled following a 1901 fire, but alterations since then have been minimal. The brothers’ stock evolved from tobacco through crockery, furniture, jewelry, appliances and finally into hardware. Two generations of Harrisons ran the business before it was bought in 1984 as a preservation project by the non-profit Historic Huntsville Foundation which operates it today. The buildings were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

ERECTED 1989 BY THE HISTORIC HUNTSVILLE FOUNDATION