Historic Huntsville Foundation

06/04/2026

Our Signature Scavenger Hunt takes you on a journey of American history from 6,000 BC to the Space Age.

And the best part? It's FREE at Harrison Brothers Hardware
Huntsville Salutes America's 250

06/03/2026

Executive Director Donna Castellano sat down with Alabama Heritage Director Rebecca Todd Minder and Caroline Gazzara-McKenzie, two shining stars in Alabama's history community, when she visited Alabama Heritage's award-winning Coffee & History podcast.

Alabama Heritage is a publication whose pages are filled with stories of Alabama history that have educated, inspired, and entertained audiences for more than 40 years.

We've heard that the discussion ranged from dumpster diving for business ledgers to the importance of community connections in the public history profession.

Donna's podcast will drop later this year. Interested in coffee conversations with other Alabama historians? Follow the link!

https://www.alabamaheritage.com/coffee-history-a-conversation-with-alabama-heritage/

05/31/2026

We’re thrilled to welcome Ryan Blocker to Huntsville! Enjoy her discussion of the history of Signature Quilts through the years!

05/29/2026

Many, many thanks to all the friends, artists, and supporters who joined the party at our Signature Celebration for America's 250th birthday at Harrison Brothers Hardware!

Vicki Van Valkenburgh, Realtor at Van Valkenburgh & Wilkinson Properties and HHF Chair, handed out the awards to our "What American Means to Me" art show. Many congratulations to Katie Hallahan, who received the Best in Show award for her piece, "Little Stingrays." Congratulations also to Joshua White, who received an Award of Merit for his piece, "Cecelia," and to Melissa Tubbs, who received an Award of Merit for her piece, "Ready for Fireworks."

Because of the exceptional pieces in our show, HHF is offering a People's Choice Award, which will be given to the artist whose piece receives the most votes through Saturday, July 4, 2026. Stop in the store, peruse the artwork, and VOTE on your favorite!

Harrison Brothers is open Monday through Saturday, 10 AM to 5 PM and until 6 PM on Thursdays! Stop in and

05/25/2026

Join us on Sunday, May 31 at 2:00 PM
a fascinating presentation by Ryan Blocker, Museum Collection Coordinator for the Alabama Department of Archives and History. Ryan will discuss the history of American Signature Quilts.

In her presentation, Ryan will showcase images of eight quilts from the Alabama Department of Archives and History collection, ranging from the 1840s to the 2020s, to demonstrate the evolution of signature and friendship quilts in Alabama.

Following the presentation, Ryan will provide a brief overview of how to care for historic textiles.
This is a FREE program and ALL are welcome!
Heritage Quilters of Huntsville

05/23/2026

Our FREE festivities continue until Labor Day!

The American Signature Celebration at Harrison Brothers Hardware will feature family friendly activities that connect Huntsville art and history to the American story.

Read more at the 🔗 in the comments.

05/22/2026

The Signature Art Show is officially open! 🎨✨ Each piece is an interpretation of the theme "What America Means to Me" by 28 different . Now through Labor Day, come experience the art show everyone will be talking about, as part of our America's 250th Celebration! 🖼️🇺🇸🥂

05/22/2026

We’re kicking off America’s birthday party with our new American Signature Scavenger Hunt in Harrison Brothers Hardware! Follow the clues and discover American history from 6,000 BC to the Space Age!
Huntsville Salutes America's 250
Huntsville-Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau

05/21/2026

Another entry for the "unexpected things we find in Harrison Brothers Hardware" list.

While sorting through old boxes in a display case, we discovered a large collection of what we suspected were stone tools made by the Indigenous people who once hunted around the Big Spring.

We know buildings, but we know nothing about archaeology.

So we asked someone who does.

Ben Hoksbergen, Cultural Archaeologist and Cultural Resource Manager at Marshall Space Flight Center and Lecturer in the History Department of the University of Alabama in Huntsville, lent his expertise and confirmed that our artifacts, are in fact, stone tools made by Indigenous people. Ben also confirmed that the oldest tool dates from around 7000 BC, soon after the end of the Ice Age.

Ben also volunteered to provide the documentation so that we could have a small exhibition of the artifacts in Harrison Brothers. Thanks to Ben, the history of Huntsville's first inhabitants can now be included in our celebration of the American story.

The pop-up exhibition debuts Memorial Day weekend, with a full exhibition later this year.

Huntsville Salutes America's 250
City of Huntsville, Alabama - Government
Alabama Historical Commission
Alabama Humanities Alliance

05/20/2026

We’re putting the finishing touches on our America's 250th windows just in time for Memorial Day. The festivities continue inside the store, as we debut two history exhibitions, one art show, and a kid-friendly scavenger hunt that connects Huntsville history to the American story.

And the best part? It's all FREE!
Huntsville Salutes America's 250
America250