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The Records of Mayor Robert A. Baines
Collection Description:
Introduction
The records of Mayor Robert Baines comprise 43 cubic feet of correspondence, memos, reports, budget information and meeting minutes. There is also six cubic feet of scrapbooks and newspaper clippings representing his activities in the City of Manchester during his time in office.
Biographical Note or Agency Information
Robert Baines was born in Manchester, New Hampshire in 1946 to Henry Baines and Rena Knee. He has spent his entire life in Manchester. He was a member of the 39th Army Band, New Hampshire Army National Guard, from 1970-1976. Mr. Baines is married to the former Maureen McCaugney and they have three children: Christina, Timothy and Catherine.
Prior to serving as Mayor of Manchester, Mr. Baines was the principal of Manchester West High School for twenty years. From 1977-1980, he was the assistant principal of Alvirne High School in Hudson, New Hampshire.
Baines is the past president of the New Hampshire Association of School Principals and he was named the New Hampshire Principal of the Year in 1990. He has also served on the Board of Directors for Community of Caring, a values-education project for the Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Foundation. In the early 1970s, he served two terms on the Manchester Board of School Committee.
In 1996, Mr. Baines served on the Manchester Charter Commission. This commission’s work provided the basis for the present Manchester City Charter.
Scope and Content
During Mayor Baines’ tenure, many important land development projects were completed. In 2001, the Verizon Arena was opened and is now the home of the Manchester Monarch’s hockey team and the Manchester Wolves’ football team.
In 2003, groundbreaking began for the William B. Cashin Senor Center located on Manchester’s West Side. Other building projects included the expansion and renovation of City Schools and the construction of a new water treatment plant.
Gill Stadium was renovated in 2003 to be the temporary home of a minor league baseball franchise and in 2005, the Fischer Cats Stadium was opened.
Merrimack Place on Elm Street was developed under Mayor Baines tenure, taking a long abandoned site and turning into luxury apartments, conveniently located to the downtown area.
Arrangement
Mayor Baines’ papers are arranged topically by folder. The material in each folder is then arranged chronologically.
Administrative Information
The mayoral papers of Robert A. Baines were surveyed and described by archivist Sally Fellows in 2007-2008.
Access
The records are open for research without restrictions under the conditions of the Archives' access policy. Records may be copied for use in administrative, scholarly or personal research. Researchers are responsible for obtaining copyright permission to use the material from the Archivist.
Citation
The records of Robert A. Baines, Office of the Mayor, City of Manchester, New Hampshire.
Topics
Art Builds Community
Civic Center (Verizon Center)
Derryfield Restaurant Renovation
Elderly Services Department
Granite Street Widening and Enhancement Project
Hands Across the Merrimack
Heath Department Fire
Manchester Economic Development Corporation
Manchester Employees Contributory Retirement System
School Committee Board
Valley Cemetery Master Plan
Managing Organization:
Manchester City Archives >>
Geographical Focus:
Town: Manchester
Collection Size:
43 cubic feet
