Founded in 1896

Manchester Historic Association Research Center

The Manchester Historic Association Research Center is located at 129 Amherst Street, Manchester, New Hampshire. This historic building in downtown Manchester houses the Research Library, open Wednesdays and Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., and also serves, by appointment, as a study center for artifacts and artwork in the Museum collections. There is a daily admission fee to use the Research Center although MHA members are admitted free.

The Research Library

The Research Library includes books, business and family papers, photographs and oral histories describing the city's history. The MHA has photographs documenting many aspects of urban life in Manchester; extensive holdings relating to the Amoskeag Manufacturing Company; records of various city-planning and urban renewal projects; miscellaneous records from small businesses and industries; personal archives of various members of the Manchester community; and the Dignam Music Collection, an important collection of locally written band music dating from 1850. There are also primary and secondary reference works describing the lives of notable Manchester residents and events, and providing general historical information about the city.

The online library catalog has recently been upgraded to include the book catalog and photograph collection, and catalog records for the archives collections are being added over time. The finding guide for the Amoskeag Manufacturing Company Records, which was published in 1985, has been slightly revised and is now available online. For those patrons who are unable to visit the Research Center, Manchester Historic Association staff is able to provide a limited research service for a fee.

Questions regarding the Research Library or photo reproductions should be directed to the Curator of Library Collections via voicemail at (603)-622-7531 ext. 226, or e-mail at library@manchesterhistoric.org or fax at (603)-622-0822.

Other Museum Collections