New Rochelle, New York
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New Rochelle is a city located in Westchester County in the US state of New York, 16 miles (26 km) from Grand Central Terminal in New York City. The city is named after the city of La Rochelle in France, which was a stronghold of the Huguenots.
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History
17th century
New Rochelle's history begins with the purchase by Thomas Pell of the Pelham Manor tract, of which the city would become part, from the Siwanoy Indians in 1654.
In 1687 a purchase agreement was made between John Pell, nephew of Thomas Pell, and [[Jacob
In 1689, thousands of Huguenots - French Protestants who left France following the revocation by Louis XIV of the Edict of Nantes, which had protected them from religious persecution - began settling the area. Their new home was named after La Rochelle, the port from which they had departed France. There is a monument in Hudson Park which commemorates all the names of these Huguenot settlers.
Also in 1689, John Pell officially deeded the 6,100 acres (25 km²) of New Rochelle to Jacob Leisler. The Deed requires "as an Acknowledgment to the Lord of the said Manor one Fatt Calfe on every fouer and twentieth day of June yearly and every Year Forever (if demanded)."
18th century
In 1775 General George Washington stops in New Rochelle on his way to assume command of the Army of the United Colonies in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
In October of 1776, the British Army occupies New Rochelle and Larchmont. General Sir William Howe establishes headquarters on the heights above North Avenue opposite Eastchester Road. The British support troops, 4,000 Hessians and Waldeckers under Lieutenant-General Baron von Knyphausen, landed at Davenport Neck. The British left New Rochelle on October 25th, clogging available roads and leaving destruction behind. Two days later, the Battle of White Plains was fought, bringing victory to the British but allowing Washington to regroup his troops. New Rochelle became part of the "Neutral Ground."
Through the 18th century, New Rochelle, with a 1790 population of 692 residents, remained a modest village. It retained an abundance of agricultural land, 300 acres (1.2 km²) of which was awarded in 1784 to the patriot Thomas Paine by New York State for his service to the cause of independence. He wrote his pamphlet Common Sense while residing there. Now located on a small street in New Rochelle, the Thomas Paine Cottage is a small museum where many Revolutionary re-enactments are played out.
19th century
In 1879, Hohn H. Starin, former United States Congressman and New York transportation king, buys five islands, names them Glen Island and creates perhaps the first theme park open to the public. His 12 steamboats transported millions of New York residents and others to the attractions which included a zoo, a natural history museum, a railway, a German beer garden (around the castle-like structure which still stands today), a bathing beach, and a Chinese pagoda. A chain ferry transported visitors from a mainland dock.
In 1892, the New Rochelle Public Library is established and located in the Trinity School, on Trinity Place. Rose Hill Gardens, located on what is now Rose Hill Avenue, is one of the largest botanical gardens in the country during the 1800's. The first orchid in the United States is cultivated here.
In 1896, David's Island is re-named Fort Slocum after General Henry Warner Slocum, a Civil War officer. Fort Slocum becomes the largest recruiting depot east of the Mississippi River, with greatest use during World War I and World War II.
20th century
In the early part of the 20th century, the County's famous Glen Island Casino on Long Island Sound continued to draw such celebrities as Glenn Miller, the Dorsey Brothers and Ozzie Nelson.
In 1930, New Rochelle's population hit 54,000, up from 36,213, in 1920. In the early 30's it was the wealthiest city per capita in New York State, the third wealthiest in the country.
New Rochelle had two of the first suburban branch department stores in America, with Arnold Constable opening on Main Street in the 1940s and Bloomingdale's purchasing the locally owned Ware's Store in the late 1940s.
New Rochelle was the scene of the first court-ordered school desegregation case in "the north", when the United States Supreme Court decided in 1962 that its Lincoln School boundaries had been intentionally drawn to create segregated elementary school districts. Lincoln School was closed and demolished in 1965, with students of that district allowed to attend any other city elementary school. Today the school district is known for its diversity, and the high school honors civil rights leader Whitney Young in the name of its auditorium and civil rights martyr Michael Schwerner in the name of its library.
Part of downtown New Rochelle near the Metro North train station was revitalized in the summer of 1999 with the opening of the $190 million New Roc City, an entertainment complex featuring a 19-screen movie theater, Westchester's first and only IMAX theater, mini-golf, go karts, an arcade, a health club, restaurants, a hotel, and a supermarket. New Roc City was built on the former Macy's and New Rochelle Mall sites.
Geography
The City of New Rochelle is on the Long Island Sound. It is the second largest city in Westchester County, after Yonkers.
New Rochelle is one of the largest suburbs of New York City. It is located a mere two miles from the New York City borough of The Bronx, and about 15 miles northeast of Midtown Manhattan.
New Rochelle is located at 40°55'43" North, 73°47'3" West (40.928584, -73.784230)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 34.3 km² (13.2 mi²). 26.8 km² (10.4 mi²) of it is land and 7.5 km² (2.9 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 21.77% water. The city has a rough triangle shape, approximately 10 miles (16 km) from north to south and 1.5 miles (2 km) from east to west at its widest point.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 72,182 people, 26,189 households, and 17,546 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,692.7/km² (6,973.5/mi²). There were 26,995 housing units at an average density of 1,007.0/km² (2,608.0/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 67.89% White, 19.18% African American, 0.20% Native American, 3.23% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 6.28% from other races, and 3.17% from two or more races. 20.08% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 26,189 households out of which 32.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.5% were married couples living together, 12.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.0% were non-families. 28.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.29.
In the city the population was spread out with 24.0% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 29.5% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 15.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 90.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $55,513, and the median income for a family was $72,723. Males had a median income of $50,187 versus $38,527 for females. The per capita income for the city was $31,956. 10.5% of the population and 7.9% of families were below the poverty line. 12.1% of those under the age of 18 and 10.0% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
Additional facts about New Rochelle
New Rochelle as a birthplace
- Irene Castle, dancer
- Bob Denver, actor
- Loius Farrakahn, minister of Islam, lived on Cortlandt Avenue
- Leslie H. Gelb, former President of the Council on Foreign Relations
- Jay Leno, comedian
- Don McLean, singer who became famous for 1971 ballad, "American Pie." Graduated from Iona Prep in 1963
- Jesse Arnelle, football and basketball star for New Rochelle High School and Penn State University
- Alex Raymond, cartoonist, invented the Flash Gordon comic strip. He played football for Iona Prep
- Eddie Foy, Jr., actor. Eddie Foy Park in New Rochelle is named for him.
- George Oppen, poet
- Richard Roundtree, actor. Played on New Rochelle High School's undefeated and nationally ranked football team in 1960
- Rob Petri, Comedy Writer. Wife Laura, son Rob Jr. in the "Dick Van Dyke Show"
New Rochelle as a home
- Lou Gehrig, Yankee first baseman, lived at 9 Meadow Lane, near The College of New Rochelle
- Willie Mays, baseball star, lived on Croft Terrace
- Thomas Paine, philosopher, writer, politician. Thomas Paine cottage on North Avenue is a landmark
- Norman Rockwell, artist, lived at 24 Lord Kitchener Road in Bonnie Crest
- Carrie Chapman Catt, first international leader of the political phase of the feminist movement*
- Teresa Brewer, pop and jazz singer, lived on Pinebrook Boulevard
- Robert Merrill, baritone, Metropolitan Opera star, sang national anthem at Yankee Stadium. Lived on Oxford Road, near Wykagyl
- Matt Dillon, actor
- Frankie Frisch, baseball player nicknamed the "Fordham Flash," lived at 184 Fenimore Road in Bonnie Crest
- Adam Welsh, actor
- Claude Harmon, head pro at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck. He was the last club professional to win a major golf tournament (1948 Masters). lived on Stratton Road
- Butch Harmon, son of Claude Harmon. He is the top ranked golf instructor in the United States and is the former coach of Tiger Woods
- Ossie Davis, actor, playwright, and social reformer. husband of Ruby Dee. lived near Fifth Avenue
- Ruby Dee, actress and wife of Ossie Davis
- Johnny Counts, played football for New Rochelle High School and then the New York Giants in the NFL
- Arnold Stang, voice of cartoon characters, famous for the quote, "Chunky, what a chunk of chocolate," lived on Lovell Road in Bonnie Crest
- Peter Lind Hayes, American motion picture and television actor, lived on Icard Lane off Pelham Road
- Snooky Lanson, vocalist on the 1950s TV show "Your Hit Parade." His son went to Iona Grammar School
- Charles Revson, CEO of Revlon Cosmetics Empire, uncle of racecar driver Peter Revson. He lived on Premium Point off Boston Post Road
- Joseph Campbell, American mythologist, professor of comparative religion, author (most notably The Hero with a Thousand Faces, 4 vol. Masks of God
- E.L. Doctorow, author
- Joseph Christian Leyendecker, legendary Saturday Evening Post and Century Magazine illustrator
- Francis Xavier Leyendecker, illustrator
- Frederic Remington, painter and sculptor - his name lives on in the Remington Park Boys' Club by the site of his home and studio
- Laurence Fishburne, actor
- Johnny "Angel" McLaughlin, actress
- Patrick Ranaudo Sr.
- Carl Reiner and his son, Rob Reiner, directors and actors - lived on Bonnie Meadow Road (the same address as Rob & Laura Petrie)
- Glynnis O'Connor, actress
- Ken Blanchard, best selling business author - graduated from New Rochelle High School
- Andrea McArdle, broadway's original "Annie"
New Rochelle in Fiction, Film, Television and Theater
In the early 20th century New Rochelle was home to some of the first movie studios in the country.
- Edwin Thanhouser establishes Thanhouser Film Corporation on the corner of Warren and Grove Street. Thanhouser's "Million Dollar Mystery" was one of the first serial motion pictures. After a devastating fire in 1913, the studio moved to Main Street near Echo Avenue.
- Parts of the film Catch Me If You Can take place in New Rochelle.
- 1941- The cartoon charatcter Mighty Mouse was created at the Terrytoons Studio in New Rochelle. Terrytoons, which was created by Paul Terry in 1929, produced cartoons for 10,000 movie theatres across the country during the 1940's and 1950's.
- The early 1960's TV hit The Dick Van Dyke Show starring Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore was set in New Rochelle.
- 1976- Ragtime, a novel written by New Rochelle resident E. L. Doctorow was released and later became a major motion picture of the same name. Other celebrated works include Welcome to Hard Times, Loon Lake and Worlds Fair
- The Broadway show Ragtime is set in New Rochelle.
- The Broadway show (and George M. Cohan song) "45 Minutes from Broadway" was about life in New Rochelle in the late 1890's.
Transportation
By railroad: the city has a railroad station served by Metro North, the commuter rail service of the Metropolitan Transit Authority and Amtrak.
By Bus: served by Greyhound Lines, and the Westchester County Bee-Line service.
By Car: major highways include Interstate 95 and the Hutchinson River Parkway.
Education
- College of St. Angela was founded by the Reverend Mother Irene Gill of the Ursuline Order. The first Catholic woman's college in New York State, the school was named the College of New Rochelle in 1911
- Iona College was founded in 1940 by the Irish Christian Brothers. It was originally an elementary and preparatory school founded by Brother Doorley in 1916.
- Monroe College has a campus, with full dormitories in the downtown section of New Rochelle.
- The Ursuline School for girls in Grades 6-12 is located on North Avenue adjacent to Wykagyl.
- New Rochelle High School is located on Clove Road, off Eastchester Road.
