31 places in town are on the National Register, among them the Harrisville Historic District, a National Historic Landmark, and six historic districts with 306 buildings between them. Below: 3 old photos and papers, maps from 1898 on, and the census since 1880.
From Harrisville’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers
How Harrisville began, and where its name came from
When was Harrisville founded?
1842
The Harrisville post office opened in 1842, the earliest record of the town by name. Wikidata gives 1870. Another post office, Chesham (1886), opened inside today’s town and later closed.
First census: 870 in 18802020 census: 984184 years
How did Harrisville get its name?
Harrisville was named for Milan Harris, whose stone and brick Cheshire Mills operated until 1970, but look virtually unchanged since the mid-19th century.
How historic is Harrisville?
A+
More historic than 97% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Harrisville is more historic than 97% of U.S. towns. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its National Register listings ranks highest and its age lowest.
A+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Harrisville’s overall grade.
New Hampshire towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical New Hampshire town has 9.5 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Harrisville’s 4,045 sits above most of its state (100% of New Hampshire towns have fewer) while its 358 historic buildings outnumber those of 96% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from A to A+. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±7.9 points). The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date; Wikidata gives 1870.
Founding year: the first post office (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Harrisville’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Harrisville claims to be the only industrial community of the early 19th century to endure in its original form.
First known as "Twitchell's Mills", a combination sawmill and gristmill was built here in 1774. The town of Harrisville was formed in 1870 from lands ceded by Marlborough, Dublin, Hancock, Nelson, and Roxbury. The Manchester & Keene Railroad opened in 1878, helping it prosper as a textile mill town. It was named for Milan Harris, whose stone and brick Cheshire Mills operated until 1970, but look virtually unchanged since the mid-19th century.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
The Harrisville post office opened in 1842, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1870.
How does Harrisville rank for history?
Harrisville is more historic than 97% of U.S. towns. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
What is on the National Register in Harrisville?
31 listings: 25 buildings and 6 historic districts with 306 contributing buildings. 358 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Harrisville?
33% of Harrisville’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±7.9 points), against a typical 17% for a New Hampshire town; the median home was built in 1965.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (5), the Library of Congress (1), the National Register of Historic Places (31), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
★ Landmark
2011
2009
2005
