News

The Alabama Historic Commission awards $75,000 grant to the Historic Huntsville Foundation to preserve Harrison Brothers Hardware

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEJuly 20, 2026HUNTSVILLE, Ala. - The Alabama Historical Commission (AHC) awarded the Historic Huntsville Foundation $75,000 from the 2026 Historic Sites Grant Program to preserve Harrison Brothers Hardware and create more free educational programs and community event space in downtown Huntsville.Grant funds will be used to upgrade the electrical and HVAC systems of the […]

Harrison Brothers: More Than a Store

It was an honor to be nominated, and we never expected to win, but we are deeply grateful to everyone who voted for Harrison Brothers as the Best Downtown Huntsville Retail Establishment of 2026. Winners were announced at the Downtown Huntsville, Inc. awards program on January 29 at Mars Music Hall. Since 1879, Harrison Brothers […]

Harper’s Weekly Woodcut March 19, 1864

We have a precious few visual images of Huntsville during the Civil War. Several photographs exist. Harper’s Weekly and Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper published a few woodcuts. The best and most accurate woodcut made in Huntsville was published by Harper’s Weekly March 19, 1864, and captioned “HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA, FROM GENERAL LOGAN’S HEAD-QUARTERS.” It was discovered […]

UAH History Students Explore How the Past Lives in the Present

A UAH intern reflects on an evening of connection, curiosity, and community at the Historic Huntsville Museum.by Rebecca Heaton, UAH Public History Intern

Experience Beyond the Classroom: A new UAH-HHF internship program prepares students for public history careers

By Merritt Fisk

Why Huntsville History Matters

I became a Huntsville history nerd by happenstance. When COVID hit in 2020, I had some downtime. My work schedule as a lawyer slowed down as the court system essentially shut down for months.I had always been curious about the Reconstruction-era building on Holmes Avenue that housed my former law firm. During my downtime, I […]

Celebrating National Historic Preservation Month: Huntsville Reconstruction Heritage Trail Receives Funding Boost

NEWS RELEASEFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMay 14, 2024Contact: Donna CastellanoThe Historic Huntsville Foundation(256) 508-5372donna@historichuntsville.org

A Year in the Life of our Mission: Support our Annual Fund Campaign

To give to our annual fund, click here or visit historichuntsville.org/annual-fund.

National Park Service lists the Historic Huntsville Museum to the Reconstruction Era National Historic Network!

Our newly debuted Historic Huntsville Museum has already received national recognition for our innovative projects that share the history of Huntsville’s freed men and women during the Reconstruction era (1860-1900). These programs include our research and exhibition about Huntsville’s Black suffragists and our most recent exhibition, “Brick by Brick: The Legacy of Henderson and Daniel […]

Introducing the Historic Huntsville Museum

We are thrilled to announce the opening of the Historic Huntsville Museum in Harrison Brothers Hardware, a place where Huntsville’s past and future come together.Originally founded in 1879, Harrison Brothers functioned as a crossroads of sorts, where people from across the Tennessee Valley purchased household goods and equipment needed for their home, farms and businesses. […]