Community Fundraises for Pines Bridge Monument

Yorktown has a vital history, but never had a statue to represent the American Revolution and to support the significance of the town. Until Yorktown resident and police officer, Michael Kahn started efforts to change that so he could place part of history in town.

In cooperation with Finnegan's Bar and Grill, a silent auction was held Saturday night with mostly sports memorabilia that was donated by Mahopac Cards to raise funds in an effort to erect a life-size monument to mark the battle of Pines Bridge in Yorktown. The statue would commemorate the three soldiers of the American Revolution in 1781.

The cost of the statue is approximately $100,000. In addition to the auction, donations were accepted at the door and they had raffles throughout the evening. The turnout was moderate.

"It's important to have a monument to mark Yorktown's historical ties to the American Revolution and there's nothing around here that associates the town with that," Kahn said. "The idea is to get this statue in place and put these men and their leader back in popular memory."

Kahn said that the community support in Yorktown has been overwhelming.

"David is very public oriented community minded person and he volunteered to hold the silent auction at the restaurant," Kahn said of Finnegan's Bar and Grill owner David Franklin. 

"The manager, Bill Carey organized it and they've done fundraisers in the past," he added. "Time is on our side and we'll see how much we can raise. We're still working on getting the word out there and we've been working with several institutions and organizations in Rhode Island which is where this regimen is from and is being honored-- so it's not only part of Yorktown, Westchester and New York's history; it's also a bit of Rhode Island's history."

Kahn said Rhode Island organizations have shown interest in supporting the monument, and said he hoped they would help and support them in the future because of the ties to their state's history.

The monument will consist of three soldiers who were an integrated union, which was common during the American Revolution, something would not occur again until the Vietnam War. The statue would feature one white officer, one African-American soldier and one Native American soldier.

Finnegan's manager, Bill Carey said Kahn contacted him about three or four months ago about the fundraiser. He hoped the proceeds from the auction, raffles and donations would be a step forward in building the monument in Yorktown. He didn't have an exact amount of how much money was raised.

"This is a first attempt as a fundraiser so we can engage in an idea of how much we pull from this and see where we need to go from there to continue funding for the monument," he said.

Carey said the monument is important not only to New York State, but also to Yorktown. He called Yorktown his home and has spent 16 years of his 26 years here.

"[The monument] is remembering where you came from--the American Revolution and the Battle of Pines Bridge obviously goes without saying the importance that it was," he said.

Finnegan's has been in town for seven years and they make efforts to support the community, Carey said.

"We do anything we can to give back and really make the community feel important," he added. "Right in town over by the CVS, there's a statue of a little boy with an airplane--it's nice but what does it really mean? You want something that has substance to it--you want to be able to look at it and say, 'Wow, this is really historic Yorktown.'"

Despite difficult economic times , the community still comes together to raise money for a good cause.

"We're tight with our money but if it's for a something that's local like this, people don't mind giving a dollar," he said. "A little bit from each person goes a really long way. We're trying to do something that people will really feel a part of and that represents the town, New York and America."

New York State Assemblyman Greg Ball, a Republican who is running for State Senate, was at the event and said he supports the idea of the monument.

"I support the Yorktown community and the work that is done by people behind the scenes," Ball said. "Many folks don't know about it. I'm glad to support it and especially in these tough economic times where government can't fit every need."

Gary Bailey, of Mahopac Cards, donated most of the items featured in the auction, including Yankee, Mets, and Giants jerseys, autographed photos of sports heroes including one of Derek Jeter, as well as baseballs and basketballs.

All the proceeds collected from the auction, donations and raffles will go directly towards the cost of the monument.

To make a donation, make checks payable to the Yorktown Historical Society, PO Box 355 Yorktown Heights, New York 10598. Write "monument fund" in the memo section. Donations are tax deductible.