Our Story

Why do we call ourselves a hardware store when we don’t sell hardware?

Because we are continuing a tradition that began over 100 years ago.

Harrison Brothers Hardware started as a family-owned business founded by brothers James B. and Daniel T. Harrison, and their store has operated on the courthouse square since 1897. Like a cherished family heirloom, the business was passed down from generation to generation. The death of James in 1908 brought younger brother Robert into the family business. As Daniel and Robert grew older and passed away, Robert’s sons Daniel and John took over and kept the store running through 1983.

It seemed certain that the death of John Harrison in 1983 would be the end of the family business, but the Historic Huntsville Foundation stepped in and purchased the store from Harrison family heirs. HHF wanted to preserve and continue the operation of Harrison Brothers Hardware, so the store, its traditions and the names of its founders would live on.

Today, Harrison Brothers Hardware is a store unlike any other you will visit. The store retains its original appearance, and all the counters, display shelves, wood floors and fixtures are all intact. Sales are still rung up on the 1907 National Cash Register first used by James and Daniel. The brothers’ business desk, safe, and coal stove are still there–just about the way they left them. Original advertising posters, receipts and ledgers, vintage photographs and Harrison family mementos are displayed throughout the store. We carry some of the same types of merchandise sold by James and Daniel, including pottery, cast iron cookware and gardening tools. Our goal is to ensure that Harrison Brothers Hardware merchandise embodies “American made” at its finest.

Harrison Brothers Hardware is not a trip to the mall. We are a shopping experience where family, community, tradition and customer service are preserved. When you shop with us and support our store, you become part of the Harrison Brothers family tradition.