Program

NYS Historic

Subject

House, People

Location

12 Willow St, Richville, NY 13681, USA

Lat/Long

44.41517, -75.39582

Grant Recipient

Town of De Kalb

Harlow Godard was born in 1804 in Lewis County, New York to Lewis Godard and Mindwell Thrall who had settled in New York, having relocated from Connecticut. Around 1815, Godard moved to St. Lawrence County and was raised on his uncle’s farm in Richville. He received a formal education and held various positions of employment, including teacher, farmer, merchant, and real estate dealer. In 1828, he married Mary Ann Rich and together they had four children. They were members of the Baptist church of Richville, with Godard serving as a trustee of the Baptist society.

Godard held many public offices during his life, including town inspector of schools, highway commissioner, assessor, and loan commissioner. From around 1834 to 1881, he was continuously elected town justice of the peace.

In 1844, New York’s Democratic Party split into two feuding factions known as the Hunkers and Barnburners. These two factions disagreed on several issues, with Barnburners standing against the expansion of slavery. This division within the party led to the Barnburners holding a separate nominating convention prior to the 1848 election. Godard was nominated by the Barnburners and elected to the New York State Assembly in 1848. Shortly after this, in 1850, Godard added his name to a petition to the United States Congress supporting the repeal of slavery. A biographical sketch of Godard published in the 1878 History of St. Lawrence Co., New York stated that upon the 1854 formation of the Republican Party, Godard had become “one of its most earnest supporters.” In 1858, Godard was once again elected to the New York State Assembly, this time as a Republican.

Godard resided in his Richville home until his death in 1886. His obituary published in the November 17, 1886 issue of the Ogdensburg Daily Journal referred to Godard as a “pioneer of St. Lawrence County.”