Yorktown, New York

Yorktown is a town in Westchester County, New York, in the suburbs of New York about 38 miles (61 km) north of midtown Manhattan. The town lies on the north border of Westchester County. The population was 36,081 at the 2010 census.

History

Yorktown has a rich historical heritage beginning with the earliest known inhabitants—Mohegan, Osceola, Amawalk, Kitchawan, and Mohansic—all familiar names of local places. Most of Yorktown was part of the Manor of Cortlandt, a Royal Manor established by King William III for the Van Cortlandt family. The Croton River, which runs through the southern part of Yorktown, was dammed by New York City to provide its first major source of clean and reliable water. The first Croton Dam was located in Yorktown and broke in 1842, causing significant damage to property and major loss of life.

During the American Revolution, Yorktown was of strategic importance, with the Pines Bridge crossing guarded by a regiment of Rhode Island troops made up mostly of African Americans who were massacred at the Davenport House in Croton Heights. A memorial to them is at the Presbyterian Church in Crompond. Major John André, a British officer who communicated with Benedict Arnold, ate his final breakfast at the Underhill House on Hanover Street just before his capture and eventual hanging as a spy.