Red Brick Village: A New Film about Historic Harrisville
Annual Meeting & Film Screening at 10 a.m. on April 22
Get ready to immerse yourself in the rich history of Historic Harrisville at the upcoming 2023 Annual Meeting of Trustees and Incorporators on April 22 at 10:00 a.m. The meeting will be held in the large meeting room at the Cheshire Mills Complex, Mill No. 2 and will be followed by a free community lunch. All are welcome.
This annual event will feature an insightful review of the activities of Historic Harrisville and its committees. Attendees will also hear brief announcements from the community. But the highlight of the meeting will undoubtedly be the presentation of the new documentary film, Red Brick Village (which is also available to watch at the top of this page). The film is the creation of filmmaker and musician, Ned Porter, who got his start working on PBS’s flagship programs, including NOVA, American Experience, and Frontline. After making a film about the Colony family, Ann Colony approached Porter and asked him to tell a much bigger story: the story of Historic Harrisville.
One of the few power looms that was saved when mill machinery was cleared out of the Cheshire Mills in 1971-72 to make space for the new tenant, Filtrine. According to Chick Colony, of the roughly 40 looms in Mill 6, about 30 of them were destroyed. (Photo courtesy of Chick Colony)
AbouT THE FILM
Red Brick Village explores several key questions: Why do the red brick buildings of Harrisville still stand today when so many mill towns were sold for scrap? And why does Harrisville remain to this day a place where people work and raise families?
In the early 1970s, mills across New England fell silent. The sound of the shuttle traveling at high speeds, weaving together coats, skirts, and baseball uniforms, ceased in an instant. Cheshire Mills was not unique in that respect. But the people of Harrisville, New Hampshire didn’t experience this event as a trend. Hundreds of workers privately grieved the loss of their livelihood, gathering with their families around the dinner table to decide what came next, unsure of what was to become of their lives and their village. The film tells the inspiring story of the people of Harrisville, who dedicated themselves to the preservation of their village during this moment of crisis.
“I didn’t realize that Historic Harrisville grew organically out of a collaboration between an older generation, which was more conservative both politically and dispositionally, and a much younger generation,” Ned explains. “They may not have agreed on the Vietnam War or President Nixon or what constituted a good hairdo, but they nevertheless worked well together. Twenty-year olds wearing bell bottom jeans and middle-aged folks in pleated pants gathered around one table and got to work. I think even in these polarizing times, there’s a lot to be learned from that collaboration, and we see the fruits of their labor all around us.”
Composer & Filmmaker Ned Porter
Trying to keep the film concise was a challenge given HHI’s long history. “Early on, I came to the conclusion I couldn’t tell the whole story of Historic Harrisville in 30 minutes, so I decided to focus on two crucial moments that really set everything in motion: the moment the mill closed and the moment Filtrine put the Cheshire Mill Complex up for sale. There are moments in history where if a group of people did things slightly differently, the end result would be almost unrecognizable, and I think these two moments were critical in what Harrisville is today.”
ABOUT Ned Porter
Ned, who has lived in Boston and New York City, as well as Harrisville, says that one of the things he finds most unique about the town is the deep involvement of its people in the community. “This dynamic is passing out of American life, but still thrives in Harrisville today. The General Store isn’t just a place to get groceries when you’re feeling too lazy to go to Keene, but it’s a place where people can check in with one another. You can never feel completely alone when you have so many wonderful people greeting you, asking ‘How’re things with you?’”
Ned used the HHI archives extensively in his film and uncovered some hidden gems. “I grew up knowing one version of Harrisville, which was dominated by the greatest generation and the baby boomers,” Ned says. “But going through the archive you realize that there were generations long before that who had their own way of doing things—the way they dressed, their customs, their politics. I guess it's fascinating to see what aspects of village life have lived on, but also the parts of 19th century life that we can’t access or understand.”
We hope you will join us on April 22, 2023 for the first public screening of Ned’s film, which will be followed by a free community lunch. All members of the public are welcome. (Update: If you missed this event, you can watch the film at the top of this page.)
To learn more about Ned, who is also a sound artist, visit his website at www.nedporter.com.
And if you’re interested in learning more about Historic Harrisville’s history, you can also purchase a copy of our new book, Out of Date and Ahead of Its Time.
Your Gift Makes a Difference!
Now, more than ever, your support of Historic Harrisville matters: it is a direct investment in the health of our community. Your gift supports the Harrisville General Store (owned and operated by HHI), helps our affordable housing and alternative energy program, pays staff and creates jobs, and funds the restoration, maintenance, and preservation work in the historic district and beyond. We have several exciting new projects in the works—the renovation of the Mackey House into affordable housing, completing renovation of the Trip Hammer Shop, and turning St. Denis (the former Catholic church) into a community center. But we need funds to make these projects happen. Thank you so much for your tax-deductible donations. We couldn’t do any of this without you!
Historic Harrisville, Inc., is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization for charitable purposes
You can also mail your tax-deductible check to Historic Harrisville, Inc., PO Box 79, Harrisville NH 03450. If you would like to make a bequest and have questions, please email our Executive Director Erin Hammerstedt or call us at 603-827-3722.
