The Tottenville Historical Society, a nonprofit, membership-supported, educational institution, was chartered in 2005 by the New York State Education Department Board of Regents. The Society focuses on the geographical area that includes Great Kills, Eltingville, Annadale, Huguenot, Prince's Bay, Pleasant Plains, Rossville, Charleston, Richmond Valley, and Tottenville. It is the only historical society and repository on Staten Island dedicated to a specific regional area.

The mission of the Society is carried out by a dedicated volunteer Board of Trustees, with support from more than 300 members located all over the United States. We continue to work in collaboration with other historical and cultural organizations with one goal in mind: to work together to preserve and safeguard our heritage.

Our website was created to share with you some of the events, people, and places of the past and present through documented information, artifacts and imagery from our collections. We hope you enjoy the site and that you will visit often. (Please see our Privacy Policy for use of content.) This website, along with our newsletters, exhibits and programs, not only serve to educate, but also to foster an understanding and appreciation of our history and heritage.

Learn more about the history of the community in Tottenville, the Town the Oyster Built, available through our Online Store.

Contact us today to let us know how you can help to make sure the history of Tottenville and vicinity will continue to be recorded for generations to come.


The Tottenville Historical Society is exempt from Federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Contributions are tax deductible under section 170 of the Code. We are qualified to receive tax deductible bequests, devises, transfers or gifts under section 2055, 2106 or 2522 of the Code.