Stan Laurel, William Bowman, and Gainford Academy brown plaque

This brown commemorative plaque records: Gainford Academy 1818-1899. Gainford Academy was founded in 1818 by the congregational minister the Rev. William Bowman. It operated from this building until 1899 when it was moved to North Terrace. In 1864 there were 80 boarders. The most famous pupil of the academy was Arthur Stanley Jefferson (Stan Laurel) of Laurel and Hardy fame. The building was later acquired by the Edleston family who gave it to the village in 1964. The building was restored for housing in 1987. Recorded plaque organisation: Teesdale Buildings Preservation Trust.

Rev William Bowman founded Gainford Academy in 1818, providing education until its move in 1899; Stan Laurel, a famous comedian from Laurel and Hardy, attended the academy in the mid-19th century.