The mission of the Yorktown Historical Society is to foster public awareness and pride in preserving Yorktown's historical heritage.

The Yorktown Historical Society is an incorporated educational organization that was established to bring together those people interested in the history of the Yorktown area. Residents of Yorktown reorganized the Yorktown Historical Society in 1976. Mrs. Stephen Roach was elected President of the Society. The Society believes every community has a story to tell and the preservation of the past helps to define the individual character of our Town. The Yorktown Historical Society received its Provisional Charter from the Board of Regents of The University of the State of New York, for and on behalf of the State Education Department on September 25, 1980. The Department of the Treasury granted the Society non profit status under the section 501(c)3 internal revenue code effective the same date. On December 10, 1987, the Yorktown Historical Society was granted an Absolute Charter by the Board of Regents.

The purposes for which the organization is to be formed under the Provisional Charter are:

-To promote and encourage original historical research

-To disseminate and encourage a greater knowledge of the history of the
-State of New York and particularly the town of Yorktown and its environs

-To gather, preserve, display and make available for study artifacts, relics, books, manuscripts, papers, photographs, and other records and materials relating to the history of the State of New York and particularly of the town of Yorktown and the surrounding area

-To encourage the suitable marking of places of historic interest

-To acquire by purchase, gift, device, or otherwise the title to or the custody and control of historic sites and structures, and preserve and maintain such sites and structures.