Huntsville in Madison County, Alabama — The American South (East South Central)
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Harrison Brothers Hardware
Established 1879
Photographed by Tim Carr, May 24, 2008
1. Harrison Brothers Hardware Marker
Inscription.
Harrison Brothers Hardware. Established 1879. Harrison Brothers, the oldest operating hardware store in Alabama, was founded in 1879 when James B. Daniel and 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 nonprofit Historic Huntsville Foundation which operates it today. The buildings were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.
Harrison Brothers, the oldest operating hardware store in Alabama, was founded in 1879 when James B. Daniel and 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 nonprofit Historic Huntsville Foundation which operates it today. The buildings were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.
Erected 1989 by Alabama Historical Commission; Historic Huntsville Foundation.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Industry & Commerce. In addition, it is included in the Alabama Historical Commission series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1879.
Location. Marker has been permanently removed. It was located near 34° 43.796′ N, 86° 35.067′ W.
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Marker was in Huntsville, Alabama, in Madison County. It was at the intersection of Southside Square and Franklin Street Southeast, on the right when traveling east on Southside Square. Touch for map. Marker was at or near this postal address: 124 Southside Square, Huntsville AL 35801, United States of America.
We have been informed that this marker is no longer there and will not be replaced. This page is an archival view of what was.
Regionally, this marker was in North Alabama. It was also in the American South, specifically in the Deep South, in Appalachia, and specifically in Southern Appalachia. Globally, it was in North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it found itself in what was once the original Cherokee Nation, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Photographed by Darren Jefferson Clay, July 26, 2025
3. Harrison Brothers Hardware Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on July 29, 2025. It was originally submitted on February 21, 2010, by Timothy Carr of Birmingham, Alabama. This page has been viewed 1,880 times since then and 29 times this year. Last updated on July 28, 2025, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia. Photos:1, 2. submitted on February 21, 2010, by Timothy Carr of Birmingham, Alabama. 3. submitted on July 28, 2025, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
