Harrison’s Hardware lives on

Harrison’s Hardware, a fixture in downtown Milford, Conn., until a fire forced it to close six years ago, will be resurrected -- in parts -- by a gourmet pizza chain.

According to an article in the Connecticut Post, The Colony Grill will open its third Connecticut location on the site of the old hardware store early next year. In keeping with its theme, The Colony will incorporate local memorabilia as part of its interior decor.

For the Milford location, this will feature the 15-ft. long Harrison sign, circa 1950s, which is made of sheet metal and illuminated with neon tubes. Workers are currently dissembling the sign letter by letter. An old scale used to weigh nails and cabinetry with smaller drawers that held nuts and bolts will also be part of the interior design.

The original hardware store, called Harrison & Gold, opened in 1907. When a 2006 fire damaged the Harrison building, gallons of water delivered by the store’s overhead fire sprinklers ruined the store and forced it to close, the newspaper reported.