In the course of my research into the life of George W. Gould, I previously visited his grave in Paxton, but I wondered if his name was engraved on any Civil War memorials.  There is a modest Civil War memorial on the green in Paxton across from the cemetery where he lies, and a much larger one in Worcester, but his name was inscribed on neither one. In my attempt to solve this mystery, I happened upon the Facebook page for the Grand Army of The Republic for the City of Worcester Board of Trustees, where I posted an inquiry and a link to this website.  They were kind enough to look into it and discover that George W. Gould’s name does appear on a plaque honoring the dead from Leicester; they posted a photo of the plaque and directed me to the Town Hall in Leicester where it is housed.

On July 11, 2016, I took it upon myself to drive to Leicester to see the plaque for myself.  Upon arrival, I was treated with great kindness by Kelly at the P&Z desk, who directed me to the plaque’s location. The plaque actually fills up an entire wall in the front hallway.  There I encountered Bill, in maintenance, a fascinating man with an interest in black powder and re-enacting, who helped me move furniture so I could get a good picture.

Here is a close-up of the George W. Gould inscription … Wonder if he was related to Levander M. Gould?  Need to look into that …

I love the quote on the top of the plaque:

Bill also took the time to relate the history of the building and to take me downstairs where framed pictures of that history are on display.  Apparently, the plaque was originally housed in the Old Town Hall, which burned down in 1937:

That original building contained it’s own GAR Hall where the plaque was featured.  I so wish that was still extant:

According to Bill, the plaque — which survived the fire —  was relocated to this building, which was once a high school, in 1939.  I am so grateful to Bill and Kelly for taking the time to assist me in my research, as well as Grand Army of The Republic for the City of Worcester Board of Trustees for directing me to the Leicester Town Hall.