Firefighters are battling a massive fire at a historic mansion in New Rochelle.
The fire at Cyrus Lawton House, or the Wildcliff, broke out before 5 p.m. Monday. Built in the 1850s, the mansion is currently owned by the city and isn't occupied.
A cause of the fire isn't clear.
Mayor Noam Bramson said in a statement he's "deeply saddened" by the loss of a city property that "I personally have known and loved."
"While the investigation will begin into the cause and it is too soon for next steps, we want to express our gratitude to the member of the Fire, Police, Public Works and Parks Departments who are each doing their part this evening in horrendous conditions to protect and secure the surrounding neighborhood," he said.
Built in 1855, Wildcliff was designed by architect Alexander Jackson Davis, and the Gothic cottage was gifted to the city of New Rochelle by the Julius Prince family in 1940, the city said.
An article published in April 2012 on theLoopNY.com, a community website in Westchester, said the 20-room house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2002, but has since continued to fall into ruin.
[contf] [contfnew] 
NBC
[contfnewc] [contfnewc]
