CITY OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY

Great Falls Historic District Cultural Center

Home | Directions | Email Us

65 McBride Ave. Ext. PATERSON, NJ 07501 - (973) 321-9587

	Educational Services
	School Groups
	Reservations
	About the Center
	Directions

INTRODUCTION

Paterson's roots reach deep into the historic growth of our nation. Long before the colonies united and declared their independence, travelers and visitors flocked to Acquachonounk, the homeland of the Lanape Indians to view the breathtaking beauty of the Falls.

But it was not until the emerging nation charted its course of independence that the power potential of these roaring falls was realized. Alexander Hamilton, the first Secretary of the Treasury, was convinced that industry would add wealth, independence and security to the blossoming nation.

Hamilton chose the site of the Great Falls to propel his brainchild, a "national manufactory," America's first planned industrial city. In 1791 the Society for the Establishment of Useful Manufactures (S.U.M.) was incorporated.

During the next 200 years, Paterson has been witness to the unfolding of the American Industrial Saga, and a Golden Age more prosperous and varied than in other emerging manufacturing districts, as well as witness to the shifting gears of industry to more sophisticated technology.

Some Paterson firsts: water-powered cotton spinning mill in NJ (1793), continuous roll paper (1812), Colt revolver (1837), the Roger's Locomotive (1837), and the Holland Submarine (1878).

Rich in cultural diversity, Paterson has been and is a melting pot for those who sought refuge for various reasons, or drawn by the promise of work in its industry.

The machinery was set in motion to propel Paterson's Renaissance with President Ford's official designation of the 119 acre "Great Falls of the Passaic/S.U.M. Historic District" as a National Historic Landmark in 1976. We invite you to step into the history of Paterson and explore the developments that shaped our nation and enjoy the beauty and wonder of the Great Falls.