Members of the Civic Society were invited to join pupils and staff at Tower College, Mill Lane on Friday 20 June 2025 for a special history day.
The school welcomed the great, great grandson of Henry Baxter, the man who extended the house and built the tower which gave it its name.
Riou Baxter and his wife Laura were very happy to meet civic society members who could tell them more about his family history and take questions from the pupils.
One great question drew a blank at first – Do you have anything from the original house? – No, he didn’t but then upon reflection he remembered that they had a set of copper milk churns.
This led to some discussion about the significance of them and were they made by his ancestor, Henry, who was a copper smelter and were they actually used in the house as it had shippons (cow sheds) so possibly held milk for the household. Riou was going to go back and take some photographs and see if there was a stamp on them.
After some delicious refreshments, we were all treated to a tour of the school and shown the newly vacated upstairs room and the plans for their refurbishment. It is hoped they will hold a learning resource centre with library areas for different ages, IT and digital access learning and relaxing zones for reading and discussion.
The visit coincided with research by a civic committee member which changes the history of The Tower as we know it. Current history states that The Tower was built in 1880 by Henry Baxter but new evidence shows there was a building on the site much earlier and it was not called The Tower but the name of another local residence. This bit of Rainhill history will have to be re-written. More details to follow soon.