The Yorkshire Philosophical Society was founded by a handful of prominent York citizens in 1822. The organization’s mission was to disseminate their knowledge of natural sciences and history. In the late 1820’s, they conceived of building the Yorkshire Museum to house their combined private collections. For a time, YPS was also responsible for maintaining the adjacent ruins of St. Mary’s Abbey. Another major contribution of the charitable society has been their efforts to save and restore many of York’s historic landmarks. This building called The Lodge remains their headquarters near the entrance to Museum Gardens.
