Bill Frattarola, Jr. · Houlihan Lawrence

About Yorktown

Yorktown is a town in Westchester County, New York, in the suburbs of New York City about 38 miles north of midtown Manhattan. The town lies on the north border of Westchester county. The population was 36,318 at the 2000 census.

History of Yorktown

The Town of Yorktown has a rich historical heritage beginning with the earliest known inhabitants — Mohegan, Osceola, Amawalk, Kitchawan and Mohansic — all familiar names of local places. The Mohegans of the Algonquin Nation lived within the present-day boundary of Yorktown.

In 1788, the township was officially incorporated as Yorktown, commemorating the decisive Revolutionary War Battle of Yorktown near Yorktown, Virginia, on October 19, 1781.

Returning from the battle of Yorktown, the French Army camped at the current site of Yorktown's French Hill Elementary School, where cannonballs and other materials have been found. Although rumors hold that George Washington passed through Yorktown, no factual records confirm this.

During the town's bicentennial in 1988, Yorktowners took stock of their historic heritage including that of the 19th and 20th centuries and commemorated their community's participation in events that led up to the birth and growth of the United States. A Bicentennial Committee reviewed the Town's still remaining historic sites and determined which were to be preserved as a reminder of that past and a link between the Yorktown of yesterday and the Yorktown of tomorrow.

Geography of Yorktown

The north town line is the border of Putnam County, New York. The town of Somers borders Yorktown on the east and Cortlandt borders Yorktown on the west. New Castle borders Yorktown on the south.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 39.3 square miles (101.7 km˛), of which, 36.7 square miles (95.1 km˛) of it is land and 2.6 square miles (6.7 km˛) of it (6.57%) is water.

Additional Facts about Yorktown

Yorktown Heights is home to the Guiding Eyes for the Blind headquarters, located on Granite Springs Road. Yorktown is also the home of the IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center, designed by the well-known Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen. It hosts the yearly Greasestock festival at the 18th century history landmark Peter Pratt's Inn, a showcase of alternative fuel vehicles.

Yorktown once had five stations along the New York and Putnam Railroad — Kitchawan, Croton Lake, Croton Heights, Yorktown Heights and Amawalk. The railroad failed, was purchased by the New York Central, and finally abandoned. The old right of way is now part of North County Trailway which runs North as far as Carmel, NY. (see original station.) There is currently no rail service in Yorktown, but the stations of Croton-Harmon, Mount Kisco, Pleasantville or Cortlandt are 15 to 20 minutes away.

Notable Residents of Yorktown

Writer Clifford A. Pickover. In his book, The Mobius Strip, he models the fictional New Devonshire on Yorktown. Pickover has used the Jefferson Valley Mall as the locale for his book The Heaven Virus.

ESPN Baseball Analyst and former New York Yankees beat writer, Buster Olney.

Famous Singer/Songwriter Dave Matthews and family migrated to Yorktown before moving to Virginia.

Aaron Stern, the drummer for God or Julie and formerly of the defunct band Matchbook Romance hails from Yorktown Heights.

Meteorologist Al Roker used to live in Yorktown while he was the husband of the town clerk, Alice Roker. The Town Board selected Alice Roker to be the town supervisor for the last three months of 2007 following the resignation of supervisor Linda Cooper.

Alan Blake and Richard Crockett, who founded the first company to market a genetically modified animal (GloFish) both grew up in Yorktown.

Big Brother 8 contestant Eric Stein grew up in Yorktown.

Current Professional soccer player Kevin Reiman who plays in Major League Soccer for Real Salt Lake grew up in Yorktown.