History

History of News in New Rochelle

The New Rochelle Pioneer was New Rochelle’s weekly newspaper from 1860 to 1920. You can see 1,879 past issues here thanks to New York State Historic Newspapers archives. Its former office, “The Pioneer Building,” is still at 14 Lawton Street next to the public library.

Then came The Standard-Star from 1931 to 1998. It was the last widespread news publication only covering New Rochelle. Its historic building still sits at 251 North Avenue next to the post office, but it is now part of “The Standard,” a 14-story apartment tower developed in 2019.

The Westchester Journal News, now known as lohud.com, followed in 1998. The Gannett-owned publication merged several local newspapers in the lower Hudson Valley, including The Standard-Star, and continues to publish today.

As the news industry becomes increasingly monopolized by large corporations and billionaires, local papers are strained and often forced out of business. But local journalism is still as important as ever. That’s where New Roc News comes in. New Rochelle deserves its own news coverage — a way to document the city’s history so that future residents can better understand life in this era. People can’t learn from past mistakes if those mistakes were never recorded.