Gorham's place of rest suitably marked

Have you ever wondered how Gorham Elementary School and Gorham College were named? That story goes back some 230 years in the history of Liverpool.

Jabez Gorham, born in 1707, produced a son of the same name in 1726. He married Mary Burbank at Plymouth, Massachusetts, on Nov. 16, 1750. Six children were born to that marriage, and four died in infancy. Gorham moved to Liverpool in 1760 and became one of the proprietors of this township. Another six children were born here,

James was to become Liverpool's first and most generous philanthropist. He was an infant when his parents came to Liverpool, and in the 80 years of his life here, he saw the settlement grow from a mere fishing village to a prosperous sea port.

James Gorham followed the sea, engaged in trade, and amassed a fortune. During the war of 1812, he was a shareholder in the privateer Retaliation.

He also had an interest in other privateers outfitted in Liverpool. He was deeply and honestly interested in the public good, donating his wealth to financing and establishing both educational and religious institutions.

In 1812, he endowed and built a public school house in Liverpool. It was eventually torn down and replaced by the Gorham School, which was located on Gorham Street where the Lion's Club hall now stands. He also supported the old Zion Church that stood at the Parade in 1774.

A tablet recognizing James and Jedidah Gorham was placed on a stone, installed in the ground adjacent to the site of the old Gorham Temperance Hall, which was erected by the Gorhams on the corner of Gorham and Church Streets.

The Gorhams provided leadership in the early years of Liverpool. As patrons of Education, the Congregational church and the Temperance movement of the 1830s

They worked for the betterment of their town and its people. Their efforts in life and beyond, brought about the construction of the first Public School and later the Gorham College.

The Temperance Hall, on the spot of the plaque was also constructed, and their last resting place was in the shade of that hall.

The plaque was placed in 2001 by the Queens County Historical Society.

James Gorham 1760-1841; Jedidah Gorham 1764-1849.