Pioneer Building
Approximate location: the National Park Service places this pin arbitrarily within the property, not at a surveyed point (stated accuracy ±12 m).
Why it's listed
Built in 1892 at 14 Lawton Street, this two-story brick building in downtown New Rochelle was constructed as the first official headquarters of The Pioneer, the city's first newspaper. Founded in 1860 by William Dyott, the paper became a daily in 1885 and ceased publication in 1920. The building also briefly held the city's first circulating library. Designed in the Italianate style by builders John New and Son, it has a buff iron-spot brick facade, round arch windows, gauged brick quoins, bracketed storefront bay windows and an elaborate metal cornice bearing the name Pioneer. Printing presses once occupied the rear. Pressed-metal ceilings and some wood trim survive inside. Nearby buildings were cleared in the 1970s for a new public library, and the building, once slated for demolition, became a conspicuous landmark. It was later rehabilitated and is now in use. Its listing rests on its local role in the city's turn-of-the-century development.
Significance in brief: The building was constructed as the first official headquarters of The Pioneer, New Rochelle's first newspaper, and also briefly housed the city's first circulating library. It is a largely intact, representative example of a medium-size late nineteenth century commercial building with Italianate-inspired decoration. The nomination treats it as locally significant to the city's turn-of-the-century development.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 83004217, listed December 29, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 14 Lawton St., New Rochelle |
|---|---|
| County | Westchester County |
| Listed | December 29, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83004217 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1892 |
| Architect / builder | John New and Son |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Communications |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied and in good condition; rehabilitated by a food development company that uses the rear as test kitchens. Surrounding buildings were demolished in the 1970s, leaving it isolated amid parking lots. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.91011, -73.78168 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 83004217.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7196651
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.