Preserving More than Buildings

An in-depth look at HHI’s mission

This is part two of a seven-part series that explores Historic Harrisville's core programs—preservation, affordable housing, conservation, green energy, the HHI Archives, and the Harrisville General Store. 

---

At HHI, our commitment to preserving Harrisville extends far and beyond bricks and mortar. We’re also committed to safeguarding, educating, and interpreting Harrisville’s rich history through the Historic Harrisville Archives, a treasure trove of documents, photographs, recordings, and artifacts that offer an invaluable look at life in Harrisville, both past and present.

In order to deepen the connection between our community and its history, we've intensified our efforts to make the HHI collection more accessible and visible. To reactivate the archive, which essentially became dormant during the COVID-19 pandemic, and ensure progress towards our goals, HHI has hired part-time staff to work in the archive. Katy Burchett, our dedicated Archives Coordinator, is leading the effort. Katy has developed a long list of projects to be done with the invaluable support of a passionate team of volunteers and our student employee, Hope Duggan. They are breathing new life into the archive and making big strides to complete these projects. (Of course, they’re thinking of new projects just as fast!)

We are incredibly proud of the work we’ve done in the archive, but paying for additional staff and materials has been a stretch for us financially. On this Giving Tuesday, we are asking for your support to propel this vital initiative forward.

Here are just a few of our accomplishments in the HHI Archives this past year...

• Completed a grant-funded project in partnership with Common Threads to digitize all back issues of the town newsletter. See the results at the Common Threads website!

• Added over 3,000 new entries into CatalogIT, our new digital catalog system and created eight curated virtual exhibits that are available to the public via CatalogIT HUB, which you can see online here.

• Scanned the entire collection of Fred Travis’s glass plate negatives and are currently working on entering them into our digital catalog system.

• Participated in Old Home Days, engaging visitors with life-size reproductions of three Fred Travis photographs (as in the photo above).

• Created a series of Summer in Harrisville postcards using historic photographs from the archives, which are available for sale (seasonally) at the Harrisville General Store.

• Held two photo exhibits at the Harrisville General Store, including one of summer in Harrisville, and another of Fred Travis photos (see below photo).

• Included historic photographs and/or stories in every issue of Common Threads, sharing information and providing opportunities for engagement with the public.

• Purchased equipment for and began conducting digitally recorded interviews of past and current residents.

• Invested more than $1,000 in archival sleeves, folders, boxes, and other storage materials to ensure the preservation of documents and artifacts.

• Received donations of new documents and artifacts, including records of the Cheshire Mills Company.

• Received a grant from the Harrisville Community Fund to digitize audio and video recordings in the archive for permanent storage and controlled access.

• Made extensive use of the HHI Archives to create both a book and film documenting our organization's history.

---

Photographer Fred Travis on ice skates with his daughter Evelyn c. 1910. Archive staff recently scanned Travis's extensive glass-plate negative collection—an invaluable resource donated to the HHI Archives.

Help Us Reach Our Goal!

We take great pride in the expansion of the HHI Archives and the strides we're making to safeguard our collection, while also enhancing accessibility and public exposure to these valuable items.

But to sustain this momentum, we need your support! During the past year, HHI invested just under $30,000 in our Archives program, including staff wages, supplies, and project expenses. In 2024, we hope to expand the Archives program to amplify our impact. During this annual fundraising appeal, we aim to raise $20,000 for the Archives to cover project costs and half of its staff wages in 2024.

We hope you enjoy and value the work of our archive, and donate to HHI’s annual appeal in support of this program.

---