New Rochelle, New York
city in Westchester County, State of New York, United States, suburb of NYC
New Rochelle ( rə-SHEL) is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States. It is a suburb outside of New York City, located about 17 miles (27 km) from Midtown Manhattan. The city had a population of 79,726 at the time of the 2020 census, making it the seventh-largest city and 22nd-most-populous municipality in New York.
History
17th and 18th centuries
This area was occupied by cultures of indigenous peoples for thousands of years. They made use of the rich resources of Long Island Sound and inland areas.
By the 17th century, the historic Lenape bands, who spoke a language in the Algonquian family, were prominent in the area. Their territory extended from the coastal areas of western present-day Connecticut, Long Island, and south through New Jersey, Maryland, and Delaware.
In 1654, the Siwanoy Indians, a band of Lenape (also known as the Delaware by English colonists), sold land to English settler Thomas Pell. Some 33 families established the community of La Nouvelle-Rochelle (French pronunciation: [la nuvɛl ʁɔʃɛl]) in 1688. Many of them were artisans and craftsmen from La Rochelle, France, after which they named the settlement.
The public source identifies “New Rochelle, New York” as city in Westchester County, State of New York, United States, suburb of NYC. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Rochelle, York and city.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “New Rochelle, New York”, the useful work is to connect “city in Westchester County, State of New York, United States, suburb of NYC” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Place names and jurisdictional language are key evidence: both can reveal earlier catalogue descriptions and overlooked record series. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 13, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q744948. VIAF identifies the subject as 126038954. The Library of Congress control number is n81140773. Authority coordinates are 40.909, -73.782. 4 of 6 selected statements include explicit references; 1 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 2020, 1654 and 1688.
Modern boundaries and familiar names can conceal earlier jurisdictions or structures that do not align with the present site. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “New Rochelle, New York”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow New Rochelle, New York primary sources, New Rochelle, New York archive and Rochelle research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “New Rochelle, New York”?
- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
- Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “New Rochelle, New York” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.