![]() It is part of the Great Falls of Paterson–Garret Mountain National Natural Landmark. One of the United States' largest waterfalls, it played a significant role in the early industrial development of New Jersey starting in the earliest days of the nation. The Congress authorized its establishment in 2009. The falls and surrounding area are protected as part of the Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park, administered by the National Park Service. The Great Falls of the Passaic River is a prominent waterfall, 77 feet (23 m) high, on the Passaic River in the city of Paterson in Passaic County, New Jersey. The Great Falls in January 2019 with a characteristic rainbow. Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park It is stunning even on cold winter days when frigid temperatures transform the flowing waters into whimsical white sculptures.Īs Loren Eiseley once said, “If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water.Great Falls (Passaic River) (the United States) Show map of the United StatesĤ0★4′58″N 74☁0′54″W / 40.91611°N 74.18167°W / 40.91611 -74.18167 Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park is perfect for a day trip any time of the year. This park underwent extensive work and reopened in August 2015. Comfortable benches along the way let visitors relax while watching the waterfalls, or just listening to their roar. Many varieties of flowering plants, trees, and bushes frame winding pathways. At the end of the bridge is the Mary Ellen Kramer Park. The museum is at Spruce Street corner of Market Street, just a few steps from the Overlook Park.Ī footbridge high across the Passaic River offers a stunning close-up view of the waterfalls. The homepage also has a link to download an App to be used together with the self-guided walking tour other links inform about directions, history, and the Paterson Museum.įor the history buffs among you, the interesting Paterson Museum has excellent exhibits of textile machinery, the first Colt firearms, antique locomotives, and the first prototype of a submarine by John Holland. The Park’s website has a graphic map of an aerial view of the park and surrounding area. Across the street is the Welcome Center where we learned about available tours and programs and picked up brochures. From here we had the iconic view of the cascading waterfall. To start our tour, we parked at the Overlook Park off McBride Avenue. We spent all our time at the waterfall, so we didn’t venture beyond the park. No longer “Silk City,” Paterson nowadays is a mixture of different socio-economic neighborhoods. ![]() Manufactures of firearms – such as the first revolver by Samuel Colt – and railroad locomotives factories came later.īut it was the enormous volume of excellent silk produced by dozens of silk-manufacturing and silk-dying sites in the late 19th and early 20th centuries that put Paterson on the map, earning it the nickname “Silk City.” This power system, the most significant at that time, made possible the establishment of mills and manufacturing sites associated with the textile industry. Born in Paris, Pierre (or Peter, as he called himself in the United States) Charles L’Enfant was an engineer and architect who also designed the basic plan for Washington, D.C. Diverting water just above the falls, Pierre developed a system of water channels to provide power for mills and manufacturing plants along the river. The Society hired Pierre Charles L’Enfant to harness the energy of the Passaic River. Thus Paterson came into existence – a city named for New Jersey Governor William Paterson. In 1792, the Society purchased 700 acres of land around the Great Falls. With that in mind, and on his initiative, the Society for Establishing Useful Manufactures (S.U.M.) was created in 1791. This region’s history starts with Alexander Hamilton, the brilliant first United States Secretary of the Treasury. Hamilton believed that industrializing the young nation would help the United States achieve financial independence. This 119-acre Historic Landmark District tells a century-old history set amid a stunning spectacle of nature. Less than an hour west of New York City, the Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park is located in Paterson, New Jersey. The soft sunrays reflected on the fringes of the water sheets cascading 77 feet down the craggy cliffs of the narrow Passaic River Gorge, only to land in a tranquil blue pool at the bottom. Standing on the Overlook of the magnificent Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park early in the morning, we were dazzled by the sight and thunderous sound of the waterfall. ![]() A balmy breeze occasionally carried a cool mist over the broad expanse, touching our faces. We could feel the vibration in the air and on our skin.
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