An updated historic marker honoring Black business owners Henderson and Daniel Brandon will be dedicated Friday on the Huntsville Courthouse Square.
Henderson and Daniel Brandon were founders of the city’s most successful Black-owned business in the late nineteenth century. Their masonry firm constructed 14 structures across north Alabama from 1887-1921.
Among those buildings is Huntsville’s iconic Harrison Brothers Hardware, built by Daniel Brandon in 1902.
The updated marker incorporates the history of both the Harrison and Brandon families, replacing the original marker dedicated in 1989. It will be dedicated at 11 a.m. at Harrison Brothers Hardware.
Established in 1879 by brothers James and Daniel Harrison, Harrison Brothers has been a fixture on Huntsville’s courthouse square since 1897. To ensure the building’s preservation, the Historic Huntsville Foundation purchased the building and retail store from the Harrison family in 1984.
HHF learned of its building’s connection to Daniel Brandon a few years ago from Ollye Conley, a retired educator who has devoted her life to documenting the history of Huntsville’s Black community. HHF continued the research, sharing its discoveries through public history exhibitions and walking tours.
An exhibition honoring the Brandons was held at the Harrison Brothers Hardware building on the square in 2023.
See story: Exhibition: Henderson and Daniel Brandon ‘opened doors’ for Black businesses in Huntsville – al.com
“The Foundation has preserved the history of the Harrison family and their store for over forty years,” Foundation Executive Director Donna Castellano said. “We are now proud stewards of Brandon family history, too. The updated historic marker honors the legacies of both families, weaving their stories together for a richer, more nuanced understanding of Huntsville and Alabama history.”
Brandon history spans the journey from slavery to entrepreneurship. Following his emancipation, Henderson Brandon established a brickmaking business, a mill, and store on his property near modern-day Pulaski Pike and Holmes Avenue. His son Daniel joined the family enterprise in 1886.
Highly respected in the Huntsville community, voters elected Daniel Brandon to the Huntsville Board of Aldermen. He served from 1897-1905.
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