Harrison Brothers Hardware

About Harrison Brothers Hardware Harrison Brothers, located on South Side Square in Huntsville, is the oldest operating hardware store in Alabama. Founded in 1879 by brothers James and Daniel Harrison as a tobacco store on Jefferson Street, the business was moved to its present location in 1897. Robert S. Harrison, the youngest brother, opened the current store with older brother Daniel. Robert's sons, Daniel F. and John, took over during the fifties by which time the stock consisted primarily of hardware, furniture, and crockery. The younger set of brothers ignored modern merchandising techniques, thereby preserving the store in its turn-of-the-century condition. The almost certain dismantling of the store following John's death in 1983 prompted the nonprofit Historic Huntsville Foundation to undertake the ultimate preservation challenge to keep Harrison Brothers intact. Upon purchase of the property, the Foundation cleaned and inventoried, hired a manager, and reopened the doors in the fall of 1984 with a staff of dedicated volunteer clerks. Harrison Brothers has gained popularity throughout the years and has rapidly become one of Huntsville's most popular tourist attractions. The buildings were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. The store was designated as one of the U.S. Department of the Interior's Save America's Treasures projects in 2001.