Swain, Architect of Post-Urban Renewal Haverhill, Dies at 70

Richard B. Swain.

Terra-cotta from the Daggett Building near the top of the Herbert H. Goecke Jr. Memorial Parking Deck.

Terra-cotta from the Daggett Building near the top of the Herbert H. Goecke Jr. Memorial Parking Deck.

Former Haverhill City Planner Richard B. Swain, architect of the city’s recovery from urban renewal, has died at age 70.

He passed away Saturday, April 23, at Oxford Nursing Home, Haverhill, surrounded by his family.

Born in Mansfield, Ohio, he was the son of the late Charles A. Swain and Edith F. (Wilson) McCloughan. Being the son from a military family he was raised and educated throughout the United States and Germany. He was a graduate of Ashland University in Ashland Ohio with a degree in civil engineering. He settled in Haverhill 40 years ago. He was employed at the Fiorentini Law Firm as a bookkeeper; Woodman Associates Architects, Newburyport; and COCO+CO., Haverhill. He was best known as a civil engineer working in the Haverhill City Planner’s office for many years.

Swain oversaw the salvage of the former Daggett Building, known as Grad’s, 91 Merrimack St., storing recovered terra cotta panels in his own attic for safekeeping. The panels were restored and placed on the Herbert H. Goecke Jr. Memorial Parking Deck. He was one of the city’s first hires after Haverhill took over the Merrimack Street Urban Renewal Project from Haverhill Housing Authority during the mid-1970s. He was chiefly responsible for the selection of brick edging and lighting in the Washington Street Historic District, where he later made his home. He preferred full brick sidewalks, but was overruled because of cost.

Surviving him are his children, Charles A. Swain and his wife Rory W. (O’Flaherty) of Haverhill and Shena E. Swain of Maine; brother, Kenneth Swain and his wife Dianne of Mission Viejo, Calif.; three grandchildren, Preston J. Swain, Deacon W. Swain and Georgia S. Swain.

Funeral services will be private. Arrangements are by the Kevin B. Comeau Funeral Home, 486 Main Street, Haverhill.

One thought on “Swain, Architect of Post-Urban Renewal Haverhill, Dies at 70

  1. I remember him speaking against my putting a chiropractic office at 89 Kenoza Avenue in front of the Appeals Board back in the late 70’s….he claimed that all new “professional offices” belonged downtown in those delapitated buildings then….where there were not even any elevators and limited parking, making it extremely difficult for patients to access….thank God for Atty.Jim Waldron who lobbied for us and our office, which is still fully-operational today,having served thousands of injured patients over the years!