Paterson is the county seat of Passaic County in northern New Jersey. Covering 8.73 sq mi (22.6 sq km), it has a population of 146,000 people (2011 estimate), making it the third largest city in the state, and among the largest in the New York City Metropolitan Area.

Paterson, New JerseyPaterson, New Jersey
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Downtown-paterson-nj2.jpg
Author: BJT11091
photo licensing

Alexander Hamilton is instrumental in the founding of Paterson. In 1791, he founded the Society for the Establishment of Useful Manufactures so that Americans can manufacture their own products and eliminate dependence on British manufacturers. The American manufacturers built mills to tap the energy of the Great Falls of the Passaic River, and sited their mills in the area. It was named in honor of William Paterson, the Governor of New Jersey who signed the town charter in 1792.

The first planner of Paterson was Pierre Charles L'Enfant, the architect who also designed Washington DC. The city grew largely due to the power harnessed from the 77-foot high Great Falls, its energy needs almost entirely dependent on the falls until 1914.

One of the predominant industries in Paterson from the second half of the 19th century was silk production. It was so closely tied to Paterson that the city became known as Silk City. In the early days, laborers worked long hours under often dangerous working conditions, and they were housed in deplorable tenement buildings around the mills. Displeasure over the working condition manifested itself in the six-month long strike of 1913, sporadic labor unrests, and the 1919 bombings by anarchists.

Great Falls of the Passaic RiverGreat Falls of the Passaic River
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Great-falls-passaic.jpg
Author: Dmadeo
photo licensing

Paterson suffered a decline in its local economy in the post World War II decades, reflected in high unemployment, the moving away of the more upwardly mobile white population, and the settling in of low-income immigrants.

Visiting Paterson

From Manhattan, take Interstate 95 west and continue on Interstate 80 at Exit 69.

Places of Interest in Paterson

  1. Cathedral of St John the Baptist
    Historic church building erected in 1865 and in the NRHP.

  2. Downtown Paterson
    The main commercial and shopping district of Paterson. It has many Beaux-Arts-style buildings dating from 1902, when a massive fire necessitated a rebuilding on the downtown area.

  3. Great Falls
    The Great Falls of the Passaic River is a 77-foot (23 m) waterfall that is designated a National Historic Landmark District in 1976.

  4. Paterson City Hall
    Historic building erected in 1896 and today added to the National Register of Historic Places.

  5. Paterson Free Public Library
    Also called Danforth Memorial Library, this is a historic building erected in 1905 and added to the NRHP in 1984.

  6. St Michael's Roman Catholic Church
    Historic church built in 1836 and added to the NRHP in 1978.

 Latest updates on Penang Travel Tips

 Discover with Timothy YouTube Channel

 Discover with Timothy Food Channel

 Learn Penang Hokkien YouTube Channel

SojiMart Videos

Latest from Discover with Timothy: Gurney Bay - what to see and do there

About this website



Hello and thanks for reading this page. My name is Timothy and my hobby is in describing places so that I can share the information with the general public. My website has become the go to site for a lot of people including students, teachers, journalists, etc. whenever they seek information on places, particularly those in Malaysia and Singapore. I have been doing this since 5 January 2003, for over twenty years already. You can read about me at Discover Timothy. By now I have compiled information on thousands of places, mostly in Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, and I continue to add more almost every day. My goal is to describe every street in every town in Malaysia and Singapore.

Copyright © 2003-2024 Timothy Tye. All Rights Reserved.