Remembering former Mayor, Clara Lou Gould
A plaque and bench in front of Municipal Plaza, dedicated to former Mayor, Clara Lou Gould.
On December 2, 2024, it was announced that Beacon’s first female mayor—and the longest serving female mayor in New York State’s history—Clara Lou Gould, had peacefully passed away at the age of 97.
The outpouring of gratitude, respect, and affection for Clara Lou that followed is a testament to her reputation as the mayor who steered Beacon from being an economically depressed city towards a brighter, more prosperous future during her almost 18 years in office (1990 to 2007).
We recently sat down with Beacon Mayor Lee Kyriacou—who is currently in his second term and had served for 12 years on City Council with Clara Lou—to talk more about her legacy.
Here are excerpts of our conversation:
What do you think were some of the most important lessons you learned from Clara Lou?
“Clara Lou had a very calm demeanor, and she never got angry. She had an ability to run an open conversation with the council members—even those with opposing views—and still make progress. That fit my style very well, and it was a distinct approach I learned from her and wanted to follow in the same vein.
“She had a leadership style I would call incremental. This allowed us to make gradual, individual changes that the community was comfortable with. Clara Lou intuitively understood the “one piece at a time” pace was appropriate for the community and was right for the time.
Clara Lou Gould. Photo courtesy of the Beacon Historical Society.
“When my wife and I arrived in Beacon, in 1992, most of Main Street was boarded up. There were ground floor apartments where we now have shops, and the factories had mostly shut down. We decided we wanted to stay here, raise a family, and contribute to the community. I felt this was the place to get involved. It was then that I decided to run for office and joined City Council in 1993.
“There was a master plan in place preceding many of us on the City Council that was originally focused on having a pedestrian mall with high rise buildings on the west end and east end and single-story buildings in the middle. It would have meant the demolition of many of our now beloved historic buildings. It was appealing to no one. As a council, we had to ask ourselves: ‘What do we want our neighborhoods to look like?’ ‘What do we want Main Street to look like?’ ‘Do we want factories?’ It was clear by this stage that the factories were not coming back, and we had to find another way to anchor the community. Given the natural beauty of the river and the mountains, it became evident that tourism would help revitalize the city.
Occupying the former Nabisco box-printing factory, Dia Beacon opened in 2003.
“We worked one step at a time. We changed zoning but gradually. When shop front apartments were phased out, it was done over seven years to give everyone involved time to adapt. The Nabisco manufacturing site that is now Dia Beacon was zoned as industrial until the day Dia showed interest [the factory had been empty for more than 20 years]. Clara Lou knew the Dia Foundation was the right fit, and she worked hard to get everyone on board with the idea, including the council at the time.”
You refer to Clara Lou as “my mayor,” can you explain why?
“Well, my first 12 years on the council—which was my first time as an elected official—was with Clara Lou, so we spent a long time working together and continued to stay in touch. I personally invited her to the opening of Beacon’s new Central Fire Department in early November this year but, sadly, she wasn’t well enough to come. I saw her just before she passed. I’ll always think of her as my mayor.”
Mayor Lee Kyriacou in his office at Municipal Plaza with a commemorative photograph of Beacon’s most recent mayors, including Clara Lou Gould.
“When we learned of Clara Lou’s passing, I ordered our city flags to fly at half-mast for the week in her honor. Municipal Plaza was built under her leadership, and there’s already a bench and plaque dedicated to her many years of service. I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to serve Beacon alongside Clara Lou.”
The plaque and bench were unveiled in 2019 on Clara Lou’s 92nd birthday.
Clara Lou Gould dedicated her life to public service and to the betterment of Beacon, which she clearly loved. In doing so, she touched many lives in many ways. In addition to her long and very successful tenure as the City of Beacon Mayor, she was an avid gardener who had been the Tioronda Garden Club’s President as well as a founding member of the Beacon Patriots Garden. If you notice a sign in Polhill Park at the west end of Main Street indicating Beacon is a “Tree City,” that’s also thanks to Clara Lou Gould.
Every summer, hanging baskets full of colorful flowers adorn Main Street, thanks to the Tioronda Garden Club and the Civic Beautification project initiated by Clara Lou Gould.
What’s more, the gorgeous hanging baskets full of colorful flowers on Main Street in spring, summer, and early fall are hung by the dedicated members of the Tioronda Garden club and were part of the Civic Beautification project initiated by Clara Lou. Same for the wreaths and lights displayed during the Holiday season. As if that wasn’t enough, Clara Lou organized the Greenway Trail Initiative, which was founded in 2010 to help create and design the Fishkill Creek Greenway and the Heritage Trail.
We have much to thank Clara Lou Gould for. Because without her leadership, Beacon, NY may never have become the Hudson Valley gem of a city it is today.
The Beacon Beacon🧡