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Church History


Our church was born in 1730 as an assembly that convened weekly for the worship of God. The church leased a 220-acre tract in 1737, and built a meeting house in 1738. Itinerant preachers provided worship leadership until the church called its first resident pastor in 1761.

During the Revolutionary War, the church became an arsenal and barracks, and a meeting place for the patriots. British troops destroyed the parsonage and storehouse in early June 1779, and burned the church to the ground shortly after. There is a monument in front of the church, celebrating the all-black First Rhode Island Regiment, which figured prominently in the British raid on Yorktown in 1779.

After the war, the church constructed the second building on this site, in 1785.

Under the leadership of the second pastor, the church gradually took on the Congregational form of government.  This led to a division in the church in 1806,with one portion creating a Congregational Church on Granite Springs Road.  The two churches were reunited after 60 years, in 1865.  Our church still owns and maintains the East Yard Cemetery at the site of the Congregational Church.  Among the buried of the East Yard Cemetery are 30-40 black members of that church.  Both the East Yard Cemetery and the current church building are listed as sites on the Westchester African-American Heritage Trail.

The present building replaced the 1785 structure in January 1840. Worship and Sunday School services were held in this one building until 1930.  Since then, there have been numerous building additions.  In 1985, the church restored the 1840 Sanctuary to its original appearance. In 1998, the church expanded the Christian Education Building, and created a passageway between the CE Building and the original Sanctuary.

The History of our Congregation

These articles listed below were written by the church historian, Dick Hunter, for various issues of The Disciple.

  • From the History of our Congregation - April, 2012

    The years of 1979-1980 were challenging for our Church.

    In 1979, there were many positive happenings: namely, success of the Partners for Christ campaign for mission and capital improvements, “best ever” Ecumenical Vacation Church school, great success of the UPW Thanksgiving Bazaar, becoming partners with our brothers and sisters in the Hunt’s Point Presbyterian Church in the South Bronx, 36 new members, Mark Shepard as our Senior High Youth Director and the membership looking forward to our 250th anniversary year in 1980. On March 19, 1980 we were honored to have the Moderator of the 191st General Assembly of the United Presbyterian Church in the United States visit our church and address us.

    However, the Church was also facing especially difficult times. In the Pastor’s report from our annual meeting in January, 1979 – “All is not well in Zion, at least the Yorktown Zion. All is not well in the First Presbyterian Church of Yorktown.” There was evidence from the Pastor’s report that there was continuing internal unrest. The Session, because of reduced pledge commitments, sought to find ways to pull our congregation together and become a church that would more effectively minister to our members.

    Unfortunately, several difficulties with the then pastor, William Kenney, were emerging. On June 5, 1980, our members received a letter from the Session stating that it was their recommendation that the improvement of the health and welfare of our entire church family would best be served by the dissolution of the pastoral relationship between Mr. Kenney and the church, effective 12/31/1980. On 6/19/1980, the members voted by large majority to dissolve the pastoral relationship, effective 12/31/1980. It was a sad and challenging time for our church. However, strengthened by its ability to face and to resolve serious problems within the church, our congregation, in the end, became stronger and even more united.

    Dick Hunter, Church Historian

  • Articles about the Church's History