NEW ROCHELLE, NY (May 5, 2025) — A once-cherished home in New Rochelle, dubbed the “Swiss Cheese House” for its hole-riddled stucco exterior, has become a neighborhood blight and the center of a six-year legal saga, frustrating residents and city officials alike.
The house, built before 1912 by Louis Richard Smith and Alice Matthews, was a generational treasure for their family. Priscilla Mann, a Westfield, New Jersey resident and great-granddaughter of the original owners, recalled its significance. “The house was built by my great-grandparents,” Mann said. “My grandmother grew up there, and later, my dad did as well. The house has been a source of fascination for me for years.”
Located at a residential intersection surrounded by million-dollar homes, the property was purchased in 2006 by Laura Fields, who has owned it since. However, the home’s condition deteriorated after the city mandated extensive asbestos removal in 2019, leaving the exterior pockmarked and earning its “Swiss Cheese” nickname. Since November 2023, tattered wrapping has covered the holes, but dead tree limbs, crumbling chimneys, and unsecured windows pose ongoing safety concerns.
Neighbors have voiced alarm, noting small children play just feet away and that animals or squatters could easily enter through exposed windows. One neighbor’s complaint prompted the city to offer inspections and secure the property, with costs billed to Fields. Despite a new roof installed in December 2023, notices dating back to 2020 declaring the house “Unsafe” remain posted on the front door.
The legal battle intensified in April 2024 when a mortgage foreclosure action was marked “discontinued without prejudice” by the Westchester County Supreme Court, indicating a loan modification agreement between Fields and the lender. “The parties — the owner and the bank — cut a deal to modify the debt owed to the lender as well as the terms of the repayment,” said Steven G. Sonet, an attorney following the case.
Residents have pushed for the house to be condemned and demolished, citing its vacancy and structural damage. However, Paul Vacca, New Rochelle’s Commissioner of Buildings, said the structure “was not deemed unstable” years ago, preventing condemnation. Since 2021, the city has taken Fields to court, billing her for maintenance and mowing. Vacca confirmed the property will be inspected again but noted Fields remains in litigation and the house has not been sold.
The “Swiss Cheese House” continues to stand, a stark contrast to its historic roots and the upscale neighborhood surrounding it, as neighbors await resolution in a saga that shows no immediate end.
RELATED:
Unsafe ‘Swiss Cheese House’ in New Rochelle: 5-year Neighborhood Fight Continues
New York Times: Louis Smith’s Legacy – New Rochelle Mourns Civic Leader
NEW ROCHELLE, NY (May 1946) — Louis Richard Smith, a prominent New Rochelle civic leader, retired banker, and automotive trade publishing pioneer, died at the age of 80 on May 18, 1946, leaving behind a legacy of community service and
professional achievement. Smith passed away at his home at 1 Boulevard after a year of heart ailment, according to a New York Times obituary published at the time.
Born in London, England, Smith attended Ramsgate School before immigrating to the United States in 1886. He was survived by his son, Douglass K. Smith of Philadelphia, and two daughters, Mrs. Nelson T. Mann of New Rochelle and Miss Alice L. Smith of New York, as well as a sister, Florence Kimble-Smith of Barnemouth, England.
Smith became president of the Central National Bank of New Rochelle in 1933 and continued in that role for three years, having previously served as vice president after the bank’s consolidation with the First National of New Rochelle in 1944. He was a director at the bank at the time of his death.
In the publishing field, Smith was associated with the Class Journal Company from 1903 to 1928, serving as president for 25 years. The company, located at 239 West Thirty-ninth Street, New York, published automotive trade magazines such as Motor Age, Automotive Industry, The Blue Book, and the secretary of the company when he retired. Smith was also an early amateur automobile race driver in the East and later officiated at auto races on Daytona Beach, Florida. He served as a director of the American Red Cross and was a former vice president of the Community Chest.
Smith’s civic contributions were extensive. During the infantile paralysis epidemic of 1916, he was a commissioner of public health in New Rochelle. He also served as chairman of the New Rochelle Transit Commission, president and chairman of the Chamber of Commerce, former treasurer of the New Rochelle Home Building Plan Corporation, and chairman of the New Rochelle Better House Committee. Additionally, he was the former president of the New Rochelle Humane Society and a director of the Huguenot Y.M.C.A. Smith was also secretary of the Wykagyl Country Club, a member of the New Rochelle chairman of the State Emergency Fund, and worked to provide recreation centers for Army posts.
This article was drafted with the aid of Grok, an AI tool by xAI, based on material written by Joyce Newman under the direction and editing of Robert Cox to ensure accuracy and adherence to journalistic standards. Older photo provided by Priscilla Mann.