HISTORIC HARRISVILLE INC.
Home Conservation Archives History Virtual Tour The Harris Family Abel Twitchell House Bethuel Harris House Cyrus Harris House Milan Harris House Almon Harris House C.C.P. Harris House A.S. Hutchinson House J. K. Russell House Vestry Congregational Church Island Cemetery Milan Walter Harris House Harris Mill & Boiler House Harris Storehouse Harris Boarding House Sorting & Picker House Harris Tenements Harrisville General Store Cheshire Mills Cheshire Mill No.1 Cheshire Mill No. 2 Boarding House Cheshire Mills Cottages Peanut Row St. Denis Catholic Church	Historic Harrisville, Inc. is a nonprofit public foundation which owns the core mill buildings within the textile mill village of Harrisville, New Hampshire. In 1971, the National Park Service designated this two-acre historic district to be a National Historic Landmark. History of the Foundation The closing of Cheshire Mills in 1970 caused many residents of Harrisville and the surrounding area to ask what would happen to this beautiful village, which architectural historian William Pierson considers "the only industrial community of the early nineteenth-century in America that still survives in its original form." Townspeople and preservationists joined together to form Historic Harrisville, Inc., whose goal was to preserve the integrity of the village, not as a museum but as a working community. Their preservation techniques were highly innovative: adaptive reuse of the buildings, a system of legal preservation covenants, historic district legislation, and revolving loan funds for restoration. Renovating the old buildings and leasing them to businesses created a new economic base for the town and made the buildings self-supporting both as workspace and affordable housing. Mission The mission of Historic Harrisville, Incorporated, is to preserve and foster the quality, beauty, and historical significance of the village and the environment and way of life of Harrisville. Goals To maintain the essential character of Harrisville as a small, quiet, relatively isolated village where people live and work. To help sustain the vitality of the local economy, which must continue to provide employment and a tax base for the town. To encourage the continuation of the town's strong textile tradition. To promote the restoration, maintenance, and preservation of the buildings in the Historic District. To maintain and manage the properties belonging to HHI in a way that is consonant with their historical importance, use, and value to the people of the town. To sustain and improve housing for those who work in the village. To encourage the maintenance of open spaces around the perimeter of the mill village and in other parts of Harrisville. To work with the Town of Harrisville to ensure that development follows the principles set forth in the town's Master Plan or subsequent controlled-growth development plans. To further understanding, analysis, and interpretation of life in Harrisville, past and present. Contact Historic Harrisville, Inc. P.O. Box 79 Harrisville, NH 03450 603-827-3722 historicharrisville@msn.com Linda Willett, Executive Director Involvement Historic Harrisville, Inc. has over 400 incorporators in Harrisville and beyond. Each is invited to attend the meetings of incorporators in April and October, at which they are informed of all aspects of the foundation's work. Donate We are grateful to our many supporters who share our commitment to historic preservation and land conservation. Their generosity makes it possible to continue our work. As a nonprofit, tax-exempt foundation, we welcome contributions at any time, as direct donations or as bequests. Commercial and Industrial Space for Lease Office and light industrial space available in renovated mill buildings is available for lease. For more information, please contact Linda Willett, Executive Director, at 603-827-3722.