Harrisville borough holds storied history
On April 17, 1819, a fledgling village that would soon be known as Harrisville opened its post office, signifying that the few buildings nestled in Butler County’s northwest corner planned to become a proper town.
At the time, the area consisted of a few properties. According to “History of Butler County, Pennsylvania,” the first was “Old Zeke” Bredin’s home and smithy, or blacksmith shop, which was developed in 1800 on 24 acres just north of the town. In 1804, Ephraim Harris opened a store while Henry Evans opened a tavern in 1807.
The first church to practice in the town was the Harmony Presbyterian Church, which held its first service in 1800. It first held services on a 4-acre property before moving to a brick building in the 1880s. That building was eventually torn down so the church could move into the borough.
After the post office was established, Harris took up the role of Postmaster.
According to “History of Harrisville Pennsylvania,” 287 acres of Harris’ land was surveyed and went up for sale on April 11, 1825, marking the true beginning of Harrisville as a town.
After Harris’ death later that year, two of his sons took up their own roles in the town. Samuel Harris took over the role of Postmaster in 1826 and later became the first teacher at the town’s schoolhouse in 1830.
Ephraim’s other son, Maj. John R. Harris, built a carding mill and opened a tavern in 1827. He remained in business until his death in 1874.
In the years after the survey, new businesses began to move into the hamlet, “History of Butler County, Pennsylvania” recorded. Businesses included a goods store, a blacksmith shop, cabinet-making, hatting and other little shops.
From 1830 to about 1850, distilleries and taverns became a common trade in the area, with 10 distilleries operating within 3 miles and four taverns operating within Harrisville for a period of time.
In 1845, a man named Thompson Kyle came to Harrisville to develop coal deposits that he believed rested in the area. By 1883, miners collected 200 to 300 tons of coal from what was known as the Harrisville Vein, “History of Harrisville Pennsylvania” claimed.
In 1846, the town of Harrisville and the neighboring town of Reedsville were incorporated into Harrisville borough, “History of Butler County, Pennsylvania” said. The first election for borough officers was held in September of that year.
In April 1856, Harrisville became host to an academy established by Rev. William Thomas Hamilton, who also ran the West Sunbury Academy.
The borough continued to grow in the decades after, reaching a population of 545 by 1870.
At the time, it had four stores, a foundry, three blacksmith shops, a carriage shop, a tannery, a pottery, a cabinet shop, a grocery and a saloon. Three physicians, three teachers, and three pastors worked in Harrisville.
According to “Harrisville History,” after Pennsylvania’s 1985 compulsory education law made it so all children under 13 years old must attend school, a high school officially opened in 1907. It remained open until 1958, when the borough joined the Slippery Rock Area School District.
While most businesses have come and went over the decades, some from the 20th century have stood the test of time. One of the oldest is a small ice cream store along Route 8 that opened nearly 100 years ago.
The shop was opened in 1928 by Jay Hughes for the Vengold company. When he acquired ownership in 1930, he changed the name to Penn-Gold.
The shop, located at 540 S. Main St., remains open and under the management of the Hughes family as of 2026.
Other businesses with decades of history include Henry’s Meat Market at 201 W. Mercer St., which opened in 1958, and Willie’s Smoke House at 562 S. Main St., which opened in 1972.
In 2025, the Harmony Evangelical Presbyterian Church commemorated its 225th anniversary at its current home, a brick building located at 234 N. Main St.
The population peaked at just over 1,000 during the 1980 census and has since slowly dropped to about 800 residents as of the 2020 census.
