History

Woolen yarn has been spun in the water powered, brick mill town of Harrisville since 1794. This small village is nestled in the Monadnock Highlands of southwestern New Hampshire and is the only industrial community of the early 19th Century that still survives in America in its original form. In 1977, the Department of Interior designated Harrisville a National Historic Landmark.

The last surviving woolen mill in Harrisville closed in 1970 when the fashion world turned, temporarily, to synthetic double-knit fabrics. We established Harrisville Designs in 1971 with a goal of preserving the textile heritage and economic vitality that had sustained the village for almost two hundred years. Beginning with a line of high quality woolen hand weaving yarns, we soon branched out into hand weaving looms and equipment. In the late 1980's, we developed the first of our Friendly Loom Products to introduce children to the joys of working with their hands.

We are a small, family owned and operated business, and we believe that quality should not be compromised for even the smallest product. There is a great tradition of textiles in our community and in our culture, and we are happy to share that tradition of quality by designing and marketing our yarns and tools.