Gouverneur thrives on local connection and proximity to jobs
A community that looks out for one another, historic buildings used by local organizations and working close to home define the town of Gouverneur. Miki Hopper is President of the Gouverneur Garden Club and gets to experience how connected residents are firsthand. “My husband and I were born and raised here, Hopper says. “I moved away to be near my grandkids,” Hopper says. “After my husband passed away, I came back. Some people asked me, ‘Why here?’ It’s home. I think there’s a lot of involvement. What I found out when I moved back is how generous this community is. There’s a lot of camaraderie here and people taking care of people.”
This is the only town in the nation named Gouverneur, and this St. Lawrence County area features the village of Gouverneur and seven hamlets. No matter where people live in the area, residents are never far from a locally owned restaurant, outdoor destinations like the Oswegatchie River and industry jobs. Gouverneur is where people know their neighbors and work to improve the area.
Colonial and Victorian homes in the village and more in hamlets
The village of Gouverneur sees the most action with people buying and selling properties, and these colonial- and Victorian-inspired homes often range from nearly $120,000 to $270,000. The moderate lots feature long backyards, and houses are close together while maintaining some breathing room. Manufactured homes and cabins in hamlets like Natural Dam and Elmdale are spread out among green, gently rolling hills. They can go for $10,000 to $115,000. The lots outside of the village are usually larger, and residents might have to drive a short distance to chat with their neighbors.
Neighbors help each other when snow piles up
The county occasionally announces travel bans during severe winter storms. The village of Gouverneur dispatches snowplows and sand trucks to keep the roads as clear as possible. “Neighbors pitch in to help each other,” Hopper says. “There’s a nice man and his family next door, and I mow his lawn. He comes over and helps me with all of my leaves. If he thinks the snow is too heavy and too much for me, he and his son come over and do it.” Tropical Storm Debby caused flooding in 2024, damaging some roadways, though this was a unique event.
Working close to home at long-standing Gouverneur companies
Among the most notable employers in the area, Gouverneur Hospital offers job opportunities and emergency medical services. Kinney Drugs is a pharmacy and drug store chain founded in Gouverneur, and its corporate headquarters are off U.S. Route 11. Hopper mentions the area has a long mining history. Titan Mining Corporation aims to become the nation’s first domestic graphite supplier in over 70 years and create at least 135 new jobs by 2026. Residents working outside Gouverneur might commute about 30 miles to the Army installation Fort Drum or 30 miles to the Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center in Ogdensburg. Gouverneur is close to the Watertown International Airport and the Ogdensburg International Airport.
Working and learning in Gouverneur schools
The Gouverneur Central School District is also a leading source of jobs in town. Niche gives the district a C. Gouverneur Elementary School gets a C-minus and offers prekindergarten through fourth-grade classes. The C-rated Gouverneur Middle School feeds into Gouverneur High School, which receives a B-minus. Attending football games is a popular pastime for students and alumni, but Gouverneur High’s marching band also makes appearances at local events, like the Fourth of July Parade.
St. James Catholic Church has been a landmark for over a century. The church runs the private St. James Elementary School, which is unrated by Niche. Students from any school can apply for hands-on learning at Southwest Tech Center. College credits earned at the tech center might transfer to nearby universities, like State University of New York, Canton.
Fundraising walks and the Gouverneur and St. Lawrence County Fair
Gouverneur Garden Club members maintain 12 gardens throughout the community, but they also meet for educational presentations and support local events. “We participate in almost everything,” Hopper says. “The Gouverneur Breast & Ovarian Cancer Walk is in October. They raise thousands of dollars, and that serves three counties. They help a lot of people. In the spring, we always have a plant sale where members bring plants to sell as a fundraiser." The town always has something going on, but the Gouverneur and St. Lawrence County Fair is one of the largest events. Thousands of people visit the fairgrounds for days packed with 4-H showcases, carnival rides and live music in a celebration of agriculture.
Quick trips to Gouverneur Riverview Park and Thousand Islands
The Gouverneur Riverview Park has athletic fields, paved basketball courts and a walking bridge that stretches across the Oswegatchie River to Harry L. Mills Memorial Park. On this side of the river, locals launch boats onto the river or fish along the shore. There are also famous North Country destinations less than an hour away from town. The Thousand Islands is a constantly busy tourist spot on the St. Lawrence River, which divides New York and Canada. People visit to tour the historic Boldt Castle, explore the natural beauty of Wellesley Island State Park or cross over into Canada.
Family restaurants and shops along Main Street
Small businesses and locally owned restaurants line Main Street, from The Primitive Peddler craft and gift shop to Hopper’s recommended diner. “The Casablanca is a family-owned Italian restaurant that the kids inherited from their parents,” Hopper says. When hunting for pasta dishes and brick oven pizzas, customers look for New York Pizzeria’s green and gold exterior. People pick up groceries at Price Chopper or the Save A Lot grocery stores, but some residents browse locally grown produce, baked goods and handmade crafts at the Gouverneur Village Park farmers market every Thursday. GardenShare organizes the market from June through October.
