Our beloved Armory has been a part of New Rochelle’s history as well as a part of American history for generations. To those who have served our country in times of war, this place is too sacred to turn into housing. The many heroes who have gone before us and took a stand against anyone who would threaten our freedom would understand and appreciate the importance of the Armory’s history. Unfortunately, only their spirits and our memory of their selfless sacrifice remain with us. They can’t speak out. The spirits of these brave heroes’s call on us from the past to be their voice as our city government considers the fate and future of our beloved Armory and our sacred history in New Rochelle.
This article serves as a call to the community. A call to preserve what is a rare and historical building, one of only a small handful of Naval Armories built in America. It is a very important part of New Rochelle’s history and America’s history and as such is sacred. Our history is a portrait of who we are as a people. The quality of our character, our courage, our determination, our ability to meet the challenges forced upon us by jealous and often evil foes. It reminds the world that we as Americans have always done whatever it takes to preserve our most prized possession, our freedom. It reminds those of us in the here and now what others have done to make the here and now possible.
For the past few years, the city has been talking with a developer about building more housing here that New Rochelle does not need rather than a community center, a historical museum, a center for the arts, a place for seniors and youth and for our veterans and much more.
We the people must rise up and speak up. We must speak out and demand that the New Rochelle Armory be used as it should be, to serve our community. This was the agreement when the State of New York sold the Armory to New Rochelle. The Trump Tower and Avalon buildings have proven that residential development does not always benefit the community as was implied at their conception. A proper use of the Armory, as the Save the Armory Committee is proposing, would likely soon prove to be of much greater benefit to New Rochelle, both historically and financially.
Call your city leaders, write them, email them and request that they give the Save the Armory Committee a legitimate opportunity to propose a proper use for the New Rochelle Armory which would benefit of all of the citizens of New Rochelle. Donate to the Save the Armory Committee. Make your voice heard. Make a difference for New Rochelle’s future. If you need more information about the Armory or the Save the Armory Committee, a link to The Save the Armory Committee Website is below.
http://newrochellearmory.com/save-our-armory/
