New Rochelle Trust Building

The New Rochelle Trust Building is a five-story bank structure with a red brick exterior accented by marble and bronze details in Romanesque Revival style. The facade combines rounded arches, textured surfaces, and ornamental stonework that create a solid, fortress-like appearance.

The Bank of New Rochelle constructed this building in 1893 as a statement of the growing financial importance of the city. Before this, banking operations in the region lacked a dedicated, prominent structure.

The building reflects how late 1800s financial institutions wanted to project strength and permanence through their design choices. The ornamental details and solid materials were meant to reassure depositors about the safety of their money.

The building sits on Main Street in downtown New Rochelle and is easy to spot from the sidewalk. A renovation in 2008 removed a large canopy that had obscured the original facade, allowing visitors to see the full architectural details.

Architect F.C. Merry blended Romanesque forms with refined ornamental details that reflected emerging design trends of the era. Yet despite this craftsmanship, influential architecture critic Montgomery Schuyler faulted the final design in a 1909 review.