5 thoughts on “New Rochelle Before and After: City Hall 1907”

  1. Photos of the old City Hall 1907 & 2004
    The old NR City Hall was used until the early 1960’s (I think 1961), at which time City Hall moved into its current location at the old Albert Leonard Junior High School building on North Ave. At that time, ALJHS moved to the current location and building of Albert Leonard Middle School.

    The ‘current photo’ taken in 2004, however is inaccurate in implying that the entire old City Hall was torn down, as one third still exists on the Northeastern corner of Main Street at Memorial Highway, and contains Almarc Pharmacy, at 507 Main Street.

    The ‘current photo’ taken in 2004, hardly reflects the missing western two thirds of the old City Hall, which was replaced by Memorial Highway in the early 1960’s. But a more accurate description is that it is a photo of the former Mechanic Street, replaced by a sidewalk plaza, and that the location of the old City Hall is mostly missing from the 2004 photo, and would largely be to the right of the image in that photo.

    Previously to that earliest of post-WW2 New Rochelle misdevelopments, the road west of the old City Hall was Mechanic Street. Supposedly, the old City Hall was partially torn down so as to widen the Memorial Highway that replaced Mechanic Street. However, that part of Mechanic St, near Main St, did not become part of the widened Memorial Highway that would have made destroying the old City Hall a rational act. Instead, that part of Mechanic Street was turned into an ugly sidewalk plaza, originally and perhaps still known as Raizen Plaza.

    But, the eastern one third of the old City Hall still exists at 507 Main Street, and is reasonably recognizable when compared to the 1907 photo.

    It is a shame that the New Rochelle government has continued to promote similarly misplaced destruction of historic New Rochelle, under the guise of supposed development, replacing many decent and functional buildings with ugly and misplaced buildings. Such folly can be seen at Trump Plaza, both Avalons, the old Mall opened in 1968, and the current New Roc City, and the 1960-70’s Cedar St development. None of this has ever made sense, except for short-term benefits to the construction industry in exchange for the uglification of New Rochelle. It should be noted that both Republican and Democratic Parties have continually and equally engaged in such uglification and absurd so-called development.

      1. Old City Hall
        Do you think this is the building on Main and Lawton? It is now a bank, but I think it might be one of the original buildings on Main. I wonder if anyone would know.

        You are giving us a great lesson in New Rochelle history. Thank you very much.

      2. to Knitter, re: Old City Hall, old Police Station, NRPD Garage
        I am unsure what you are referring to.

        The photo Bridget submitted, that I commented on, was clearly of the old City Hall which was located at the Main St’s northeastern corner at Mechanic Street (replaced by Memorial Highway).

        Lawton Street had nothing to do with it, and the buildings that existed between the old City Hall and Lawton Street, still remain and are still occupied.

        The building on Main St, at the NE corner at Lawton, has always been a bank and never anything else, although many bank mergers have resulted in the current bank being under a different name than the original bank that existed when old City Hall was still in operation.

        However, the NR Police Department used to be housed on Lawton St, until moving into the old ALJHS (current City Hall) in the 1960’s.

        Also interesting, is the history of the current NR Library building. Many people mistakenly consider this to be a relatively new building, when actually it was foolishly mostly built upon the steel structure of the old NRPD Garage located on Lawton St.

        Besides the folly of the ‘new’ library being built on the ancient steel structure of the old NRPD Garage, another folly was New Rochelle selling the ‘old’ NR Library to Chris Hagedorn, who to his credit, has maintained the building. The old NR Library is an historic landmark, having been built by Andrew Carnagie, and should have been retained by the City of New Rochelle perhaps for use as a museum. Chris Hagedorn is the nephew of the late Horace Hagedorn owner of ‘Stern’s Miracle-Grow’ and a great benefactor of charity.

        It is amazing how, in the last 60 years, the New Rochelle government has repeatedly fumbled, and destroyed our historic buildings and replaced them with inappropriate monstrosities. Consider, also the loss of the historic buildings and setting at Ft Slocum (David’s Island), which can clearly be blamed as a crime by former City Manager Sam Kissinger and the City Councils that presided during Kissinger’s 17 year reign of destruction and corruption. If you want to see something intact that is very similar to what we lost at Ft Slocum, I suggest visiting beautiful Ft Totten in Bayside Queens near the Throgs Neck Bridge (about a 25 minute drive from New Rochelle)

        Over the last 60 years, it is far much easier to count the NR government’s errors than to note meaningful accomplishments, especially when it comes to so-called-development or to commerce. I guess the North Ave strip mall and A&P Mall at Wykagyl, and the Golden Horseshoe (still an incomplete horseshoe) on Wilmot near Heathcoate can be considered accomplishments, but that was all in place before 1960, and all in the North End.

        Personally, I think New Rochelle should stop destroying its downtown, and instead rebuild existing structures such as the Armory. I suggest eminent domain of the grossly under-taxed Wykagyl Country Club, and developing things there that will pay high property tax, such as new homes near North Ave, and shopping malls along Quaker Ridge.

    2. Very, very good story Mr.
      Very, very good story Mr. Sussman and a delight to read. I agree with the tearing down of historic architecture as well. The city should focus more on adaptive re-use than removing and replacing. One example is the Post Office and old Standard Star buildings. To see these go would be a crime. Re-fit these into modern day NR and preserve their history rather than allowing developers to tear them down and replace them.

      Bravo Mr. Sussman and to Mr. Cox for bringing us these fascinating pictures and stories about old NR.

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