u.s. department of the interior national park servicenpshistory.com/publications/pagr/srs.pdf ·...

Great Falls Historic DistrictPaterson, New Jersey

November, 2006

National Park ServiceU.S. Department of the Interior

Special Resource Study

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National Park Service Special Resource StudyGreat Falls Historic District

Paterson, New Jersey

This report has been prepared to provide Congress and the public with information about the resources inthe study area and how they relate to criteria for inclusion within the national park system. Publicationand transmittal of this report should not be considered an endorsement or a commitment by the NationalPark Service to seek or support either specific legislative authorization for the project or appropriation forits implementation. Authorization and funding for any new commitments by the National Park Servicewill have to be considered in light of competing priorities for existing units of the national park systemand other programs.

This report was prepared by the United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service,Northeast Region. For additional copies or more information contact:

National Park ServiceDivision of Park Planning & Special Studies200 Chestnut Street, 3rd FloorPhiladelphia, PA 19106215.597.1848

Department of the Interior

As the nation’s principal conservation agency, the Department of the Interior has theresponsibility for most of our nationally-owned public lands and natural resources.Its duties include fostering sound use of our land and water resources; protecting ourfish, wildlife and biological diversity; preserving the environmental and cultural valuesof our national parks and historic places; and providing for the enjoyment of lifethrough outdoor recreation. The Department assesses our energy and mineralresources and works to ensure that their development is in the best interest of all ourpeople by encouraging stewardship and citizen participation in their care. TheDepartment also has major responsibility for American Indian reservationcommunities and for people who live in island territories under U.S. administration.

National Park Service

The National Park Service is a bureau within the Department of the Interior. Itsmission is to preserve unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of theNational Park system for the enjoyment, education and inspiration of this and futuregenerations. The Park Service cooperates with partners to extend the benefits ofnatural and cultural resources conservation and outdoor recreation throughout thiscountry and the world.

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To Comment on This Study

Public comments on the Special Resource Study of the Great Falls Historic District in Paterson, NJwill be welcomed by the NPS for the period of 60 days after the date of the release of this report.Comments may be made electronically through the NPS Planning, Environment and PublicComment (PEPC) website at http://www.parkplanning.nps.gov or through the Great Falls HistoricDistrict Special Resource Study Website at http://www.nps.gov/nero/greatfalls/. Written commentsmay be addressed to the individual listed below:

Peter SamuelOutdoor Recreation PlannerDivision of Park Planning & Special StudiesNational Park Service200 Chestnut Street, Third FloorPhiladelphia, PA 19106

Please note that it is our practice to make comments, including names, home addresses,home phone numbers, and email addresses of respondents, available for public review.Individual respondents may request that we withhold their names and/or home addresses,etc., but if you wish us to consider withholding this information you must state thisprominently at the beginning of your comments. In addition, you must present a rationalefor withholding this information. This rationale must demonstrate that disclosure wouldconstitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of privacy. Unsupported assertions will not meetthis burden. In the absence of exceptional, documentable circumstances, this informationwill be released. We will always make submissions from organizations or businesses, andfrom individuals identifying themselves as representatives of or officials of organizations orbusinesses, available for public inspection in their entirety.

Photo credits for front cover and inside front cover:Great Falls of the Passaic. NPS photo.S.U.M. Building and the Great Falls. NPS photo.

Special Resource Study | Great Falls Historic District | Paterson, New Jersey

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Table of Contents

Executive Summary v

Chapter One 1Study Purpose and Background

Introduction .............................................................................................................................1Previous Administrative Designations and Congressional Actions ..............................................4Study Area ...............................................................................................................................6The National Park Service in New Jersey and Related Studies .....................................................8

Chapter Two 11Historical Overview and Resources

The Context for Early Industrial Growth in America ..........................................................11Alexander Hamilton and the Society for Establishing Useful Manufactures .......................15Paterson’s Beginning .......................................................................................................18Recovery and Reversal .....................................................................................................21Power for the Mills .........................................................................................................23Major Industries, People and Events at the Great Falls .....................................................25Locomotive Manufacturing .............................................................................................26Samuel Colt and the Gun Mill .........................................................................................28John Holland and the Submarine ....................................................................................30John Ryle and “Silk City” .................................................................................................32The Silk Strike of 1913 ....................................................................................................34Cotton, Flax, Paper, Hemp and Jute ........................................................................................36A Final Note on the S.U.M. .............................................................................................38Historic District Resources ...............................................................................................39

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Chapter Three 43Designation Analysis

Introduction ....................................................................................................................43National Significance of the Great Falls Historic District ...................................................43Suitability Analysis of the Great Falls Historic District ........................................................45The Great Falls of the Passaic–The Natural Feature ..........................................................45The Great Falls Historic District–Cultural Resources ..........................................................47Peopling Places ...............................................................................................................47Expanding Science and Technology .................................................................................50Alexander Hamilton and Developing the American Economy ...........................................55Determination of Suitability ............................................................................................63Feasibility Analysis ...........................................................................................................64Determination of Feasibility ....................................................................................................67Analysis of the Need for NPS Management .....................................................................67Potential for Affiliated Area Status ..................................................................................68Study Conclusions ..........................................................................................................69

Chapter Four 71Consultation & Coordination

Notice of Intent ..............................................................................................................71Public Scoping Meeting ..................................................................................................71Additional Meetings .......................................................................................................71Written Communications ................................................................................................72Other Correspondence ...................................................................................................73Consultation ..........................................................................................................................73Special Resource Study Team and Advisors ......................................................................75

Appendices 77

Appendix One: Legislation ...............................................................................................77Appendix Two: Consultation Correspondence ...........................................................81Appendix Three: Bilbliography ......................................................................................97


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| Executive Summary

Executive SummarySpecial Resource Study | Great Falls Historic District | Paterson, New Jersey

Executive Summary

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Executive Summary

In November 2001, the Secretary of theInterior was authorized by Congress, throughthe “Great Falls Historic District Study Act of2001” (P.L. 107-59), to conduct a SpecialResource Study of the Great Falls HistoricDistrict in Paterson, New Jersey to determine ifits resources meet applicable criteria fordesignation as a unit of the national parksystem. This report constitutes the results ofthe study undertaken by the NortheastRegional Office of the National Park Service(NPS).

The study, in accordance with previouslegislation regarding the criteria to be used insuch analyses and reflecting current NPSmanagement policies, examines the nationalsignificance of the Great Falls Historic District,its suitability and feasibility for designation as aunit of the national park system, and the needfor NPS management of the resource versusmanagement by other agencies of government,or through other means. The importance andmethods of applying these criteria to result in arecommendation by the Department of theInterior to Congress for potential designationof a resource as a unit of the national parksystem are explained in the following chaptersof this report.

Paterson enjoys a distinguished history as oneof this nation’s earliest industrial centers. Itwas, most simply stated, chosen to be such aplace. It owes its existence to the far-reachingvision of one of America’s most importantfounders, and a true shaper of our moderngovernmental and financial institutions,Alexander Hamilton.

Hamilton envisioned Paterson, with its waterpower provided by the Great Falls of thePassaic River, as America’s counterpart andresponse to the industrial revolution occurringin England during the same period. Indeed,Hamilton was not beyond attracting, throughinducements and active recruitment, thetalents of those who knew of the Englishtechnological advancements despite Englishlaws prohibiting exportation of suchproprietary knowledge and skilled labor.

The history of the City of Paterson includes itsbeginnings as the ambitious project ofHamilton and the Society for EstablishingUseful Manufactures (S.U.M.) in 1792 at theGreat Falls, the early development of waterpower systems for industrial use, and thevarious types of manufacturing that occurred

Birdseye view of Paterson [sic], N.J. Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division [reproduction number, e.g., LC-USZ62-110212].


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in the District’s mills into the 20th Century.These included cotton fabrics; railroadlocomotives; textile machinery; jute; and silkspinning, weaving and dyeing, among manyothers. The Great Falls also representscompelling stories of the lives of immigrantswho labored in the mills, those who ownedand operated manufacturing concerns andbecame wealthy, and the quest of laborers andthe labor movement for better workingconditions and pay. These are stories thatresonate in and are characteristic of many earlyindustrialized cities of America.

Chapter I of the report describes the purposeand background of the study including thecriteria used by the NPS to determine ifresources are eligible for designation as a unitof the national park system, the various otherdesignations that have occurred, authorizinglegislation for the study and other legislativeactions that have affected the District, and adescription of the study area. It also reviews theNPS presence in New Jersey and relatedstudies.

Chapter 2 discusses the history and resourcesof the Great Falls Historic District from theadvent of the S.U.M. through the growth ofvarious industries that made Paterson a majorindustrial city. The Chapter also reviews therole of immigrants in the City’s industrial past,and its major labor strikes. The chapter is notmeant to be an exhaustive historical account.Rather, it provides the basis for publicunderstanding of the resource and informationhelpful in the determination of whether thedistrict meets criteria for potential designationas a unit of the national park system.

Chapter 3 provides the analyses of the variouscriteria for designation of a potential unit ofthe national park system including nationalsignificance, suitability, feasibility, and need forNPS management. It is important to note thatthe suitability analysis, by definition, requiresthat the resources and thematic framework ofthe Great Falls Historic District be comparednot only to those of existing units of thenational park system, but also to resources thatare protected by other agencies of governmentand the private sector.

The study concludes that the Great FallsHistoric District meets the criterion fornational significance, but does not meet criteriafor suitability, feasibility, or need for NPSmanagement. With the introduction of NewJersey’s new state park at the Great Falls, thestudy suggests that it may qualify fordesignation as an Affiliated Area of the nationalpark system, subject to conclusion of the State’scurrent design competition, and ademonstration that the resources will bemanaged in a manner consistent with NPSManagement Policies. Should thatdetermination be made at a later date,

Great Falls of the Passaic. NPS photo.

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amendments to existing legislation (P.L. 104-333) that created the Great Falls HistoricDistrict would likely be necessary. Affiliatedareas normally qualify for technical andfinancial assistance from the Secretary of theInterior if designated by the United StatesCongress.

Chapter 4 outlines the consultation andcoordination that occurred before and duringthe study, including a summary of scopingmeetings and written communications.

Plaque: “Great Falls of Paterson on the Passaic has beendesignated a Registered Natural Landmark... 1967”. NPSphoto.


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Chapter One | Study Purpose and Background

Purpose & BackgroundSpecial Resource Study | Great Falls Historic District | Paterson, New Jersey

Study Purpose and Background

Introduction ................................................................ 1

Previous Administrative Designationsand Congressional Actions ......................................... 4

Study Area ................................................................. 6

The National Park Service in New Jersey andRelated Studies ........................................................... 8

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Chapter One | Purpose & Background

Study Purpose andBackground

Introduction

In November 2001, the Secretary of theInterior was authorized by Congress throughthe “Great Falls Historic District Study Act of2001” (P.L. 107-59) to conduct a SpecialResource Study of the Great Falls HistoricDistrict in Paterson, New Jersey. This reportconstitutes the results of the study undertakenby the Northeast Regional Office of theNational Park Service (NPS).

Areas comprising the present 390 unit nationalpark system are cumulative expressions of asingle national heritage. Potential additions tothe System should, therefore, contribute intheir own special way to a system that fully

represents the broad spectrum of natural andcultural resources that characterize our nation.The NPS is responsible for conductingprofessional studies of potential additions tothe national park system when specificallyauthorized by an Act of Congress, and formaking recommendations regarding new areasto the Secretary of the Interior, the President,and Congress. Several laws outline criteria forpotential units of the national park system. Toreceive a favorable recommendation from theNPS, a proposed addition to the national parksystem must:

Stereoscopic views of Passaic Falls and Paterson, New Jersey. Robert Dennis Collection of Stereoscopic Views,Photography Collection, Miriam & Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints & Photographs, The New York Public Library.

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(1) possess nationally significantnatural or cultural resources;

(2) be a suitable addition to thesystem;

(3) be a feasible addition to thesystem; and

(4) require direct NPS management,instead of alternative protection byother public agencies or the privatesector.

These criteria are designed to ensure that thenational park system includes only the mostoutstanding examples of the nation’s naturaland cultural resources. They also recognizethat there are other alternatives, short ofdesignation as a unit of the national parksystem, for preserving the nation’s outstandingresources.

An area or resource may be considerednationally significant if it is an outstandingexample of a particular type of resource;possesses exceptional value or quality inillustrating or interpreting the natural orcultural themes of our nation’s heritage; offerssuperlative opportunities for public enjoymentor for scientific study; and retains a high degreeof integrity as a true, accurate, and relativelyunspoiled example of a resource. Nationalsignificance for cultural resources, such as thosecomprising the Great Falls Historic District, isevaluated by applying the National HistoricLandmarks’ process contained in 36 Code ofFederal Regulations (CFR) Part 65.

An area may be considered suitable forpotential addition to the national park systemif it represents a natural or cultural resourcetype that is not already adequately representedin the system, or is not comparably representedand protected for public enjoyment by other

federal agencies; tribal, state, or localgovernments; or the private sector. Thesuitability evaluation, therefore, is not limitedsolely to units of the national park system, butincludes evaluation of all comparable resourcetypes protected by others.

Suitability is determined on a case-by-case basisby comparing the resources being studied toother comparably managed areas representingthe same resource type, while consideringdifferences or similarities in the character,quality, quantity, or combination of resourcevalues. In this case, the resources are acollection of 19th century mills and an earlywater power system. The suitability analysisalso addresses rarity of the resources,interpretive and educational potential, andsimilar resources already protected in thenational park system or in other public orprivate ownership. The comparison results in adetermination of whether the potential newarea would expand, enhance, or duplicateresource protection or visitor use opportunitiesfound in other comparably managed areas.

To be feasible as a new unit of the nationalpark system, an area must be of sufficient sizeand appropriate configuration to ensuresustainable resource protection and visitorenjoyment (taking into account current andpotential impacts from sources beyond itsboundaries), and be capable of efficientadministration by the NPS at a reasonable cost.In evaluating feasibility, the Service considers avariety of factors, such as: size; boundaryconfigurations; current and potential uses ofthe study area and surrounding lands; landownership patterns; public enjoymentpotential; costs associated with acquisition,development, restoration, and operation;access; current and potential threats to the

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resources; existing degradation of resources;staffing requirements; local planning andzoning for the study area; the level of local andgeneral public support; and the economic/socioeconomic impacts of designation as a unitof the national park system. The evaluationalso considers the ability of the NPS toundertake new management responsibilities inlight of current and projected constraints onfunding and personnel.

There are many excellent examples of thesuccessful management of important naturaland cultural resources by other public agencies,private conservation organizations, andindividuals. Most notably, state park systemsprovide for protection of natural and culturalresources throughout the nation and offeroutstanding recreational experiences. The NPSapplauds these accomplishments, and activelyencourages the expansion of conservationactivities by state, local, and private entities,and by other federal agencies. Unless directNPS management of a studied area isidentified as the clearly superior alternative, theService will recommend that one or more ofthese other entities assume a lead managementrole, and that the area not be recommended asa potential unit of the national park system.

Studies evaluate an appropriate range ofmanagement alternatives and identify whichalternative or combination of alternativeswould be most effective and efficient inprotecting significant resources and providingopportunities for appropriate publicenjoyment. Alternatives to NPS managementare not normally developed for study areas thatfail to meet any one of the four criteria forinclusion listed above, particularly the“national significance” criterion.

In cases where a study area’s resources meetcriteria for national significance, but do notmeet other criteria for inclusion in the nationalpark system, the Service may insteadrecommend an alternative status, such as“affiliated” area.

To be eligible for “affiliated area” status, thearea’s resources must:

(1) meet the same standards fornational significance that apply tounits of the national park system;

(2) require some special recognition ortechnical assistance beyond what isavailable through existing NPSprograms;

(3) be managed in accordance with thepolicies and standards that apply tounits of the national park system;and

(4) be assured of sustained resourceprotection, as documented in aformal agreement between the NPSand the non-federal managemententity.

Designation as a National Heritage Area isanother option that may be recommended.Heritage areas are distinctive landscapes that donot necessarily meet the same standards ofnational significance as units of the nationalpark system. Either of these two alternativeswould recognize an area’s importance to thenation without requiring or implyingmanagement by the NPS.

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PreviousAdministrativeDesignations andCongressional Actions

Currently, there are three distinct historicdistrict designations involving culturalresources of the Great Falls and onedesignation relating to natural resources.Additional congressional actions have providedroles for the NPS in the District.

1. National Natural LandmarkThe Great Falls of Paterson was designated aNational Natural Landmark (NNL) by theSecretary of the Interior in 1967 and nearbyGarrett Mountain was added to the NNL in1976. The NNL Program recognizes andencourages the conservation of outstandingexamples of our country’s natural history. It isthe only natural areas program of nationalscope that identifies and recognizes the bestexamples of biological and geological featuresin both public and private ownership. NNLsare designated by the Secretary of the Interior.To date, fewer than 600 sites have beendesignated throughout the United States. TheNPS administers the NNL Program and, as theagency responsible for maintaining the registry,the Service has developed criteria for eligibility,including national significance (36 CFR Part62). Together, the Great Falls of Paterson andGarrett Mountain provide an excellentillustration of the jointed basaltic lava flowwhich began a period of extrusion andintrusion throughout eastern North America inthe early Mesozoic, influencing present daylandforms in this region.

2. National Register of HistoricPlaces

The Great Falls of Paterson and Society for UsefulManufactures (Great Falls Historic District) ofPaterson, NJ was nominated as a district to theKeeper of the National Register of HistoricPlaces in 1970 and twice amended to expandits boundaries to include additional resources(1975 and 1986). The NPS administers theNational Register of Historic Places. In thenomination forms (1970, 1975 and 1986) theNew Jersey State Historic Preservation Officerrecommended the level of significance of theresources as “national”, and the nominationand addendums were signed by the NPSKeeper of the National Register. Areas ofsignificance that were identified includedarchitecture, commerce, conservation,education, engineering, industry, invention,landscape architecture, sciences, urbanplanning, and industrial architecture.

3. National Historic LandmarkOn May 11, 1976 the Great Falls of the Passaic/Society for Establishing Useful ManufacturersHistoric District was designated by the Secretaryof the Interior to be a National HistoricLandmark (NHL). A National RegisterNomination form was prepared by RussellFries, a historian who had worked on theHistoric American Engineering Record(HAER) survey work in the Great FallsHistoric District in 1973. In the nomination,engineering was identified as the area ofnational significance. The period ofsignificance was determined to be 1750-1924with significant dates as 1791, 1864 and 1914.The text also discusses the hydroelectric plantat the Falls as an element in the progression ofthe development of the system and ofAmerican engineering over the entire period.The statement of significance in the NHL

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nomination also includes a list of importantengineers and others involved in the designand development of the S.U.M. RacewaySystem (the system that provided water power)including: Alexander Hamilton, PhillipSchuyler, Pierre L’ Enfant, Peter and John Colt,and Thomas Marshall.

4. New Jersey Urban HistoryInitiative

In 1992, New Jersey Senator Frank Lautenbergwas successful in earmarking funds in the LineItem Construction portion of the NPS budgetfor the “New Jersey Urban History Initiative”(UHI) involving projects in the cities ofTrenton, Perth Amboy and Paterson. Patersonwas allocated $4.147 million of these funds forprojects in the Great Falls NHL. The NPS hasprovided funds for these projects through acooperative agreement with the City ofPaterson. The City assembled a Core AdvisoryGroup consisting of City officials, the CityHistoric Preservation Commission, the NewJersey State Historic Preservation Office,representatives of the business community andinterested citizens, to advise the NPS on theidentification and administration of the UHIprojects for Paterson. This group hasrecommended UHI funding for a variety ofpreservation projects. Many of the projectswere designed to raise public awareness of thehistoric district and, through this awareness,increase public interest and involvement inprotecting the resources that tell the stories ofPaterson. On-going and completed projectsconducted with UHI funds include:

• a condition assessment of buildingsin the NHL District;

• an environmental assessment of theAllied Textile Printing (ATP) site;

• funding for a staff position for theHistoric Preservation Commission(prior to the UHI, the Commissionhad no staff);

• development of design guidelinesfor the District;

• an AmeriCorps project to make theDistrict more attractive andaccessible to visitors by repairingtrails around the raceway systemand modifying the Visitor Center;

• an oral history project andethnographic study conducted bythe Library of Congress’ AmericanFolklife Center;

• the development of a $75,000community grant program forhistorical, artistic or cultural projectsrelated to the UHI;

• restoration and re-watering of asection of the historic raceway;

• hosting a symposium onrehabilitation;

Walking path along the historic upper raceway. NPSphoto.

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• conservation of a statue ofAlexander Hamilton near the GreatFalls;

• the stabilization of the ruins of theColt Gun Mill using UHI funds aspart of a match for a New JerseyHistoric Trust grant to the City; and

• a cultural resource study, includingarcheological work and removal ofhazardous materials, on the ATPsite.

The development of design guidelines,assistance to the Historic PreservationCommission through support of a staffposition, in combination with other actionstaken under the UHI initiative, along withstrong community support for historicpreservation, led to considerable preservationand restoration of the district. This resulted inthe National Historic Landmark Programremoving the District from its “Priority 1 –Threatened List” and placing it on the “Watch”list in 2002.

In October 2004, the Governor of the State ofNew Jersey, by Executive Order, designated aportion of the Great Falls Historic District(including the historically significant waterraceways) as one of three new urban stateparks. With the advent of the State’sadministration of a portion of the NHL, theNPS has executed a cooperative agreementwith the NJ State Historic Preservation Officerto carry out a cultural resource survey on theATP site.

5. Omnibus Parks and Public LandsManagement Act of 1996 (P.L.104-333)

Congress enacted the Omnibus Parks andPublic Lands Management Act of 1996 (Public

Law 104–333). Section 510 of the Actestablished the Great Falls Historic District (theboundaries of the District are delineated asthose contained on the National Register ofHistoric Places) and authorized $250,000 forgrants and cooperative agreements for thedevelopment of a plan for the District,$50,000 for the provision of technicalassistance by the Secretary of the Interior, and$3,000,000 for the provision of otherassistance for restoring, repairing,rehabilitating, and improving historicinfrastructure within the District. All fundingrequires a 50% local match. No funds haveever been appropriated under Section 510.The legislation provides similar authorities tothe Secretary as other legislation establishingaffiliated areas of the national park system, ornational heritage areas.

While not a designation bestowed by theFederal Government, the American Society ofCivil Engineers named the Great Falls Racewayand Power System a National HistoricEngineering Landmark in 1977. In 1984 theSociety made a similar designation for theLowell Waterpower System in Lowell,Massachusetts.

Study Area

The City of Paterson, New Jersey is located innortheastern New Jersey on the Passaic River,approximately 15 miles northwest ofManhattan (see figure# 1). It comprises a landarea of 8.4 square miles. Major transportationaccess routes include Interstate 80 and theGarden State Parkway, as well as railroad accessfrom the New Jersey Transit Main Line. The

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2000 U.S. Census reported the population ofPaterson to be 149,222 persons, 8,395 lessthan in 1990. The City’s population is highlydiverse and includes Latinos from many LatinAmerican countries, people from the MiddleEast, Asians of Chinese and Korean descent,and African Americans, in addition to citizensof European ancestry. Foreign born residentscomprise almost a third of the totalpopulation.

Paterson is the county seat for Passaic Countyand government is the City’s largest employer,followed by health care. The City’s currentmanufacturing base includes garments, textiles,electronic components, machine tools, ribbons,rubber goods, plastics, cosmetics, andpackaging.

The Great Falls Historic District is located inthe west central portion of the City along thePassaic River. The Great Falls Historic DistrictStudy Act of 2001, which authorized thisstudy, describes the area to be evaluated as thatwithin “the boundaries specified by the GreatFalls Historic District listed on the NationalRegister of Historic Places.” This area isslightly different than the boundariesdelineated for the NHL Great Falls of thePassaic/Society for Establishing UsefulManufacturers Historic District. While it isimportant to note that the determination ofnational significance conferred through theNHL designation is for an area slightly smallerthan that comprising the congressionallydefined study area, this difference does notaffect the conclusion of the study.

Great Falls Historic District boundary.

Regional context.

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During the course of this study, publiccomments were received to include certainresources outside of the Great Falls HistoricDistrict in the study area. Included amongthese was Hinchcliffe Stadium which does notrelate to the period of significance of thedistrict. While these resources were reviewed,they either did not relate to the congressionallystated purpose of the study or did notcontribute additionally to the suitabilityanalysis. Addition of these resources wouldnegatively affect the feasibility analysis.

Some resources are mentioned in the report toprovide further context in the history andresources section , they are identified as beingoutside of the district.

The National ParkService in New Jerseyand Related Studies

The NPS has enjoyed lengthy andcollaborative natural and cultural resourceprotection relationships with the governments,organizations, and citizens of New Jersey.Units of the national park system in NewJersey include Morristown National HistoricalPark (the first national historical park in thesystem), Edison National Historic Site,portions of the Delaware Water Gap NationalRecreation Area and Gateway NationalRecreation Area, and portions of theAppalachian National Scenic Trail. The 1.1million acre Pinelands National Reserve, anAffiliated Area of the national park systemoccupies 22% of the State’s land area. TheNew Jersey Coastal Heritage Trail (a secondAffiliated Area), and National Wild and ScenicRiver designations for the Great Egg HarborRiver, Maurice River, and various segments ofthe Delaware River round out the NPSpresence. Recent NPS studies have resulted incurrently pending legislation to designate theMusconetcong Wild and Scenic River. Thestate is also the site of the Crossroads of theAmerican Revolution National Heritage Area,designated on October 12, 2006.

NPS-administered Federal Land and WaterConservation Fund grants have preservedsignificant amounts of open space andprovided recreation areas in the State. NewJersey has received over $117 million in Landand Water Conservation Fund grants since1965. NPS Rivers, Trails and ConservationAssistance staff have provided technicalassistance for trails and recreationaldevelopments to many governments andNational Historic Landmark District boundary.

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organizations throughout New Jersey. Thereare 55 NHLs and 10 NNLs in New Jersey andthe NPS NHL and NNL Programs haveprovided grants and technical assistance tofurther protect the State’s valuable resources.Since 1999, eleven New Jersey projects havereceived Federal Save America’s Treasuresmatching grants totaling over $3 million.

A Special Resource Study currently underwayat Coltsville in Hartford, Connecticut hasparticular relevance to this study for the GreatFalls Historic District. Although Samuel Coltestablished the Patent Arms ManufacturingCompany in Paterson and began producingfirearms in 1836, his business there failed in1842 and he returned to Hartford,Connecticut, his birthplace, and establishedthe Colt’s Patent Arms ManufacturingCompany. He resided with his family inHartford at Armsmear, now an NHL. Duringthe 108th Congress, the Coltsville Study Act of2003 (P.L. 108-94) was enacted directing theSecretary of the Interior to conduct a SpecialResource Study of Coltsville in Hartford,Connecticut for potential inclusion in thenational park system. The study concernsresources associated with arms manufacturingconducted by Samuel Colt. That study has runconcurrently with the Great Falls HistoricDistrict study and there has been closecoordination between the respective studyteams.

An important action by the State of New Jerseyrelated to the Great Falls Historic DistrictStudy was the October 2004 designation of theGreat Falls State Park which includes within itsboundaries the extant resources most associatedwith the early years of the Society for theEstablishment of Useful Manufactures

including the raceways and the Great Fallsitself. The State is in the process of concludinga national design competition for first andsecond phase development of the park and haspledged $10 million in park improvements. Arepresentative of the NPS served on the State’scompetition jury to assist in selecting thewinning design.

State Park phases 1 and 2.

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Chapter Two | Historical Overview and Resources

Overview & ResourcesSpecial Resource Study | Great Falls Historic District | Paterson, New Jersey

Historical Overview and Resources

The Context for Early IndustrialGrowth in America ..................................................... 11

Alexander Hamilton and the Society forEstablishing Useful Manufactures ............................... 15

Paterson’s Beginning ................................................... 18

Recovery and Reversal ................................................ 21

Power for the Mills .................................................... 23

Major Industries, People andEvents at the Great Falls ............................................ 25

Locomotive Manufacturing ......................................... 26

Samuel Colt and the Gun Mill ................................... 28

John Holland and the Submarine ............................... 30

John Ryle and “Silk City” .......................................... 32

The Silk Strike of 1913 .............................................. 34

Cotton, Flax, Paper, Hemp and Jute .......................... 36

A Final Note on the S.U.M. ....................................... 38

Historic District Resources ........................................... 39

Chapter Two | Overview & Resources

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The Great Falls Historic District

Historical Overviewand Resources

This chapter explores the history and resourcesof the Great Falls Historic District. It is notmeant to be an exhaustive analysis of thishistorically special American place. Rather, itprovides an overview for public understandingof the major events and people thatcontributed to the national significance of theGreat Falls Historic District. Since the GreatFalls is a congressionally designated HistoricDistrict and a National Historic Landmark, theanalysis provides a brief background of whythese very appropriate designations have beenmade.

The Context for Early IndustrialGrowth in America

The industrial revolution began in Englandwith technological advances in textileproductions. During the mid-eighteenthcentury the production of woolens wasEngland’s chief industry, the first stages takingplace primarily in the homes of individualspinners and weavers, then finished withbleaching and fulling in small mills with waterpower. Fulling involved removing grease andoils from wool, using a tub filled with waterand detergent, after which a water wheelpowered pair of wooden mallets would beat thecloth in the tub for days, shrinking the clothand compacting the weave. Clothiersfacilitated the movement of the farmer’s woolto the homes of the spinners and weavers, andthen to the tiny fulling mills. Entire familieswere engaged in this manufacture andsustained by its income.

The first step in speeding the process towardsindustrialization was the invention of the flyingshuttle, by John Kay in 1733. The flyingshuttle allowed one man to operate a loom,rather than two as had previously beenrequired. In 1769 Richard Arkright, buildingon the work of Lewis Paul, developed anautomatic spinning machine. In 1774, a millwas set up to use Arkwright’s machine.Improvements followed quickly, leading toJames Hargreave’s “spinning jenny” and then tothe “spinning mule” developed by SamuelCrompton. This led to an excess of yarn,which was addressed by Edmund Cartwright’sinventions and patents for mechanical weavingmachines in 1785 and 1787.

Photocopy of Map: Town of Paterson, New Jersey: 1835.HAER, Library of Congress.


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A need arose for greater amounts of powerrequired for these machines. Waterpower hadbeen utilized for fulling mills since the MiddleAges. However, since the topography andwaterways of England were not sufficient toproduce the necessary power for largeroperations, England turned to thedevelopment of the steam engine to power itstextile mills. In the United States, the use ofsteam engines in manufacturing trailed becausethere was abundant and cheap water power,and good site selection on any number of riverspreempted the need for the more expensivesteam power for many more decades.

Technological advancements also affected thesupply and distribution of labor, which hadinitially been centered in the rural economiesof the manor, where raw materials and laborwere in close proximity, and an establishedpattern of home manufactures and local tradethat existed since the Middle Ages. The early

fulling mills, which relied on water powerproduced from available streams, were alsorurally located. The new manufacturingtechnologies led to the demand forconcentrated labor and development of earlymanufacturing cities, such as Manchester.Later, as the steam engine eliminated the sitingconstraints inherent in waterpower,manufactures moved to existing urban areasand concentrations of labor.

Many of the thirteen colonies in NorthAmerica were established in part to further themercantile ambitions of England, specificallyby supplying raw materials to Englishmanufactures, and a market for the finishedmanufactured goods. Early colonial outpostswere generally established in ports that couldsupport this exchange. In order to maintainthat profitable status quo, England endeavoredto obstruct manufacturing in the colonies.

Protectionist legislation advanced by theEnglish manufacturers and labor interests hadan enormous impact on the economicconfiguration of the colonies, banning exportsof manufactured goods from their shores.Among them included the Woolens Act of1699 that prohibited colonial export of woolencloth and the Hat Act of 1732 that prohibitedcolonial export of hats. Additionally,technology and the skilled labor familiar withthe new industrial technologies were bannedfrom export from English shores. Capitalnecessary to fund the establishment ofmanufactures was controlled by Europeancapitalists and banks.

The lack of American banks significantlyimpaired the establishment of credit, not onlypersonal, but public credit. The Banks ofEngland and Amsterdam, among others,

Woollen Manufacture : Spinning Jenny. The PictureCollection of the New York Public LibrarySource Note: From The cyclopedia: or, universaldictionary of arts, sciences and literature. (Philadelphia:Bradford, 1810-1842.) Rees, Abraham (1743-1825),author. Digital ID: 825894


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underwrote not only manufacturing at home,but mercantile adventures abroad in the variouscolonies. As Alexander Hamilton wrote in a1781 letter to the fledgling nation’s newsuperintendent of finance, Robert Morris, suchbanks underwrote state power by financing theEnglish military with a “vast fabric of credit.”National credit was necessary to underwritefunctions of government, as much as a systemof personal credit and capital were necessary toestablish new manufacturing and mercantileendeavors. These issues dogged Americanmanufactures into the early years of theRepublic.

Two other factors would eventually affect thepotential for manufactures as the coloniesbroke away from British rule: raw materials andlabor. Initial forays into mechanized textilelabor identified women and children as sourcesof cheap labor, children being employed byArkright in his early mill. In colonial Americathe extraction and production of raw materialsfor export were initially the chief demand forlabor. The population of the colonies waslimited, and economic growth depended onindentured servants, enslaved Africans, andnew immigrants.

Business companies were slow to start. Thefirst American business company was probablyThe New London Society United for Trade andCommerce, chartered in 1732-33. While thereis question about its corporation status, itcarried on many trade activities. Companies incolonial America were to become morecommon and dealt in various industries such asfishing, mining, simple manufactures, banking,land, trade with “Indians,” and transportation.

Manufacturing companies were few in number,but existed as early as 1642, such as the

Massachusetts Undertakers of the Glass Works.Over one hundred years later in 1748 theUnited Society for Manufactures and Importationformed in Boston to produce linen, followedclosely in 1751 by the Society for EncouragingIndustry and Employing the Poor in the samecity. In 1775 the United Company ofPhiladelphia for Promoting AmericanManufactures was formed and manufacturedchiefly linens. While some ventures werealready underway, not one had set out toaggressively pursue large-scale manufacturingon par with that of Britain.

The protectionist conditions established byEngland were fully in place when the Americancolonies began to establish their freedom fromthe Crown. During the Revolutionary War,access to capital and supplies were majorlimitations in the struggle for nationhood.The end of the conflict found the emergingnation in a newly established Confederation,seriously encumbered by debt, without unifiedpower to generate revenue, lacking an effectiveexecutive, and fragmented along state lineswith each state largely determining economicpolicy in accordance with its own self interest.It was not until soon after the U.S.Constitution was ratified in 1789 that Americaseriously began its journey towards economic,as well as political independence. Eventsadjacent to the Great Falls in Paterson, NewJersey were the basis for a significant earlychapter in our national industrial history.

The first real step in America’s industrialrevolution, however, took place in anotherformer colony – Rhode Island. Samuel Slater,born in 1768 in the County of Derbyshire,England, arrived in New York in 1789. Slaterhad apprenticed in England under JedediahStrutt, a partner of English textile


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manufacturing’s noted technology pioneer,Richard Arkwright. Despite the embargo onemigrating skilled workers, Slater managed tosail to the United States under false pretenses.Immediately upon arrival, he gainedemployment in a small textile mill in New YorkCity. He soon learned of manufacturingattempts in Pawtucket, Rhode Island by MosesBrown, a Quaker merchant. Brown hadestablished a textile mill with machines of thetype invented by Richard Arkwright inEngland.

Brown and his partners found that operationswith the machinery were flawed and soughtsomeone more experienced in textile machinesto lead the enterprise. Slater came toPawtucket, rebuilt part of the equipment, andconvinced Brown to replace it and start anew.Two years later, the mill was so successful that anew water-powered mill was designed andestablished for the purpose of manufacturingtextiles in 1792. Now known as “Old SlaterMill,” it is a nationally significant resource ofthe John H. Chafee Blackstone River ValleyNational Heritage Corridor. It was designateda NHL in 1966. Soon after Slater’s success,similar manufacturing efforts would take holdand grow throughout New England.Alexander Hamilton, the nation’s newlyappointed first Secretary of the Treasuryfollowed these events closely.

Slater Mill, Pawtucket, Providence County, RI, west andnorth elevations. Note single-story addition extending toside of trench. Drawing c.1869. Credit cc. HAER ri,4-pawt,3-47. Library of Congress.

Slater Mill, Pawtucket, Providence County, RI. Interiorfirst floor from east corner, looking northwest. HAER erri,4-pawt,3-24. Library of Congress.


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Alexander Hamilton and theSociety for Establishing UsefulManufactures

In the same lengthy 1781 letter to RobertMorris cited previously, Alexander Hamiltonhad argued that an attack on English creditcould be a surrogate attack on England’smilitary, resulting in a withdrawal of thefinancial support underwriting its ventures—particularly since English citizens were alreadyheavily taxed and could not alone support themilitary. Hamilton laid out other economicreforms necessary for ensuring not only victoryover the English, but the advancement of amultitude of American socio-economicinterests. Key to these reforms was theestablishment of a national bank, and the

restoration of national credit. Morris, whohad just received approval from Congress forestablishing the Bank of North America,responded favorably to Hamilton, establishingcommon grounds for an early friendship. Thisletter was Hamilton’s entrance upon the stageof American economic development.Alexander Hamilton is arguably the architectof the American economic system, as well as aleading proponent of a unified centralgovernment. His background is somewhatobscure. Born in the British West Indies(believed to be Nevis), he is thought to havearrived in New York City circa 1772 or 1773.He entered Kings College but did not graduatedue to the outbreak of the Revolutionary War.He became fully engaged in the conflict whenhe was appointed a captain of artillery. In1777, he rose to prominence while serving as akey aide to General George Washington.

Hamilton came to know New Jersey wellduring his war experiences, having participatedin the November 1776 retreat from New Yorkand across the Delaware River intoPennsylvania, the battles of Trenton andPrinceton, the Morristown encampments andthe Battle of Monmouth. Following hismilitary service, Hamilton was a representativeto the Continental Congress and vocallyadvocated for reform of the ineffective Articlesof Confederation and the convening of aconstitutional convention. Hamilton’sthinking was always national in scope. Hewrote many of the Federalist Papers justifyingthe Constitution. As the nation’s first Secretaryof the Treasury, he authored numerous reportsthat were instrumental in shaping the financialand economic future of the United States suchas the Report on Public Credit, Report on a Planfor the Further Support of Public Credit, Report

Alexander Hamilton by Charles Willson Peale, from life,c. 1790-1795. Oil on canvas. National Park Service.Independence NHP. http://www.cr.nps.gov/museum/exhibits/revwar/image_gal/indeimg/hamilton.html


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on the Bank, Report on Establishing the Mint,and the Report on Manufactures.

Of particular importance to this SpecialResource Study is the December 1791 Reporton Manufactures. Hamilton set forth multiplearguments in the report on the importance ofstimulating American manufacturing. Incontrast to the beliefs of Thomas Jefferson andothers regarding the need to maintain anagrarian society, Hamilton argued thatagriculture does not fully employ theworkforce available, that industry would helpto attract immigrant workers to the fledglingnation, and that the diversification of theeconomy would greatly strengthen the nation’sability to survive and prosper. He alsoadvocated the use of women and child laborand protective tariffs.

Scholars have long offered the proposition thatTreasury’s assistant secretary, Tench Coxe,participated in the drafting of the report. Coxewas a noted advocate of manufactures andactive in a Pennsylvania society for this purposebefore his appointment. The report, unlikeHamilton’s many others, was not receivedfavorably by Congress, largely due toopposition from then Secretary of StateThomas Jefferson, James Madison and theRepublican Party. Many prominent citizens,too, were skeptical of the fledgling nation’sability to raise capital and begin manufacturingat a sizable scale. The report contained aninteresting note that:

It may be announced, that a society is formingwith a capital which is expected to be extended toat least a million dollars, on behalf of whichmeasures are already in train for prosecuting on alarge scale, the making and printing of cottongoods.

Shortly before issuing the report, Hamiltonhad joined in supporting Coxe’s plan for amanufacturing society operated by privateinterests enjoying the support of government.A prospectus for the Society for EstablishingUseful Manufactures (S.U.M) was drawn up,most likely a collaborative effort by Hamiltonand Coxe, and published on April 29, 1791.(Chernow, p.372).

The prospectus expounded on Hamilton’sarguments for manufacturing more finishedproducts by corporations, even using publicsubsidy if necessary. It called for theestablishment of an entire town supported byprivate investments and devoted to theSociety’s manufactures producing a multitudeof different products from linens to paper tobeer. While no specific site was mentioned,Hamilton viewed New Jersey as the logicalplace for the venture due to its proximity tofinancial interests in New York andPhiladelphia, an available labor force andabundant water power.

The S.U.M convened in New Brunswick for itsfirst meeting in August 1791. Directors were

Tench Coxe. www.findagrave.com/


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selected and included William Duer asgovernor, as well as John Dewhurst, EliasBoudinot, Alexander Macomb, Royal Flint,Benjamin Walker, Nicolas Low, John Bayard,John Nelson, Archibald Mercer, ThomasLowring, George Lewis, and More Furmans.Seven were from New York and six from NewJersey. Most were financiers and the boardlacked experienced membership in actualmanufacturing.

William Duer, the S.U.M. governor had beenan assistant to Hamilton at Treasury prior toCoxe and was a prominent businessman of thetime. Duer was raised and educated inEngland and moved to New York as a youngman in 1768. He was known for a friendlydisposition and eloquence that aided in his

successes. During the Revolutionary War, heserved as a deputy adjutant general for the NewYork troops and also on the New York“Committee of Correspondence.” He becamea delegate from New York to the ContinentalCongress, and was later appointed to the Boardof War. He was particularly known to beprone to speculative ventures and a key figurein the corrupt Scioto Corporation, aninfamous group of land speculators in Ohiofrom 1789-1792.

The name of the new manufacturing town,decided upon before the site was selected, wasto be “Paterson” after William Paterson, NewJersey’s governor. With Paterson’s support, theAssembly and Council of New Jersey quicklyawarded the S.U.M a liberal charter conveyingexceptional powers.

With the signing of the charter by GovernorPaterson in November 1791, New Jerseyagreed to be the location of what many observeas the most ambitious commercial undertakingof that era. Hamilton is believed to have beenheavily involved in drafting the charter. Thecharter gave enormous power to the S.U.M.,including exemption from local taxes and theright to improve rivers, build canals and chargetolls. Article III of the charter provided,

...that the said corporation shall not deal, nortrade, except in such articles as itself shallmanufacture, and the materials thereof, and insuch articles as shall be really and truly receivedin payment and exchange therefore.

This was envisioned as no mere business orholding company enterprise, but one thatmanufactured the products and gathered theresulting profits at a scale previously unknownin the new nation.

Wm. Duer. Library Division: Humanities and SocialSciences Library / Print Collection, Miriam and Ira D.Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs.New York Public Library Digital Gallery. Digital ID:421710


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Paterson’s Beginning

The name of the industrial settlement wasalready decided upon, but a location had yet tobe selected. Hamilton employed a number ofpersons to seek out the most advantageouslocation. A letter from William Hall toHamilton dated September 1791 made thefollowing finding:

“Sir/Last night Mr. Mort & myself returned from thePasaic Falls- one of the finest situations in theworld (we believe) can be made there – Thequality of te water is good and in sufficientquantity to supply works of almost any extent,every thing necessary as to situation is here to befound…The situation so far exceeds ourexpectations that We are very desirous you shou’dsee it…”

The site was the land adjacent to the GreatFalls of the Passaic, a place Hamilton hadvisited briefly while serving as an aide toGeorge Washington during the RevolutionaryWar. The site seemed particularly well suitedfor the start of an industrial city due to theabundant availability of water-power, timberfrom nearby forests, mineral ore in thesurrounding mountains, and proximity to themarkets of Philadelphia and especially NewYork City. In May 1792, the S.U.M. convenedwith Hamilton present to officially authorizethe purchase of 700 acres of land adjacent tothe falls and dispatched a group of directors topurchase the land.

The area around Great Falls was initiallyinhabited by the Lenni Lenape and colonizedby the Dutch in the 17th century. In 1684,

Stereoscopic views of Passaic Falls and Paterson, New Jersey. Robert Dennis Collection of Stereoscopic Views,Photography Collection, Miriam & Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints & Photographs, The New York Public Library.


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fourteen Dutch families split the land into100-acre lots all facing the Passaic River, withthe remainder of land remaining commonproperty. In 1714 a second major divisionoccurred, known as the Boght Patent becauseof its lay within a bend in the river. Many ofthese division lines from the Boght arereflected in Paterson’s eventual street plan.Plots were then divided vertically, creating stripfarms similar to those in New England at thetime. While small-scale operations like gristmills sprouted in the rural landscape, the arearemained quite pastoral until Hamilton and

the S.U.M. selected the site for the industrialCity of Paterson. (Renner, p.2) The S.U.M.bought land above and below the falls toensure complete control over its water powerpotential.

The first priority for the S.U.M. was puttinginto place the infrastructure necessary toprovide water power for the vast enterprise.The original plan to construct canals fromabove the falls and emptying into the riverbelow proved too costly. The S.U.M.embarked on a short-term program toconstruct a cotton spinning mill, a weavingoperation, an establishment for printingcalicoes, a sawmill, and housing for workers.(Renner, p.5)

The motives of Hamilton and those of Duerand his associates were different; Duer beingdriven by speculation and Hamiltonadditionally interested in demonstrating thevalue of industry in the growth of the nation.The S.U.M directors were also more narrowlyfocused, reflecting the smaller-scale operationsin which they had experience.

Hamilton’s biographer, Broadus Mitchell, notesthat:

“The directors were merchants and promotersrather than industrialists. They were used toindividual ventures, or to joint action with afriend or two, in brief projects, the outcome ofwhich could be fairly calculated. The SUM wasintended to be not only permanent, butexpanding, and embraced such varied problems aspower development, construction of machineryand plant, recruitment of skill, technologicaloperation, purchase of materials and sales ofproducts, town planning, lease of mill sites, and

William Paterson. Library Division: Humanities and SocialSciences Library / Print Collection, Miriam and Ira D.Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs. In:Emmet Collection of Manuscripts, etc. Relating toAmerican History. The Members of the ContinentalCongress, 1774-1789. New Jersey delegates. (created1808-1890). New York Public Library Digital Gallery.Digital ID: 420187


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attraction and housing of settlers.” (Mitchell,p.185)

Another problem that the Society faced was thelack of technology and skilled workers.Hamilton and the directors agreed that the bestway to get manufacturing underway was toactively seek out skilled English workers tocome to Paterson and build the same modernequipment being used in Britain. Despite theEnglish laws of the day and his post asSecretary of the Treasury, Hamilton, along withhis assistant Tench Coxe, seemed to have fewqualms about pursuing intellectual espionageas a means to ensure success. The goal wassimply to get manufacturing up and running assoon as possible.

While pragmatism and a narrow industryorientation guided most of Paterson’sdevelopment, one fascinating divergence is theappointment of Pierre L’Enfant, thetemperamental and extravagant engineer whoworked on plans for the nation’s new capitalcity. Despite friendly relations with Hamilton,L’Enfant proved to be a problematic choice.He was under the employ of the S.U.M. forlittle more than one year and repeated requestsby the Society for his plans were leftunanswered. His city plan for Paterson wasnever carried out, and any actual drawings arelost. He did, however, design water powerraceways that would ultimately be modified foruse in the City.

During this period, financial panic set back theyoung nation, particularly in New York,between 1792 and 1793. The panic waslargely caused by the massive amount ofspeculation, much of it by William Duer, thegovernor of the S.U.M. The S.U.M. wasaffected significantly, because Duer and other

directors had taken or invested S.U.M. fundselsewhere. The effects were instant and anumber of the original investors left.Hamilton expressed his concern to Duer in aMay 23, 1792 letter containing advice aboutpaying his debts:

“I hasten to express to you my thoughts, as yoursituation does not permit of delay. I am ofopinion that those friends who have lent you theirmoney or security from personal confidence inyour honor, and without being interested in theoperations in which you may have been engaged,ought to be taken care of absolutely, andpreferably to all creditors. In the next place,public institutions ought to be secured. On thispoint the manufacturing society will claimpeculiar regard. I am told the funds of thatsociety have been drawn out of both banks; I trustthey are not diverted. The public interest and myreputation are deeply concerned in the matter.

On May 25th, Hamilton took direct action onbehalf of the S.U.M. by seeking a loan in itsbehalf from the Bank of New York. In hisletter to William Seton, Hamilton goes so faras to suggest that the bank will be guaranteedthat no loss will occur.

My Dear Sir:The society for the establishing of usefulmanufactures, at their last meeting resolved toborrow a sum of five thousand dollars upon apledge of deferred stock. Mr. Walker isempowered to negotiate the loan, and I expectapplication will be made to the Bank of NewYork for it. I have a strong wish that the directorsof that bank may be disposed to give facilities tothis institution upon terms of perfect safety toitself. I will add that from its situation it is muchthe interest of our city that it should succeed. It isnot difficult to discern the advantage of being the


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immediate market of a considerablemanufacturing town. A pledge of public stockwill completely fulfil the idea of perfect security. Iwill add more, that in my opinion banks ought toafford accommodation in such cases upon easyterms of interest. I think five per cent. ought tosuffice, for a direct public good is presented. Andinstitutions of this kind, within reasonable limits,ought to consider it as a principal object topromote beneficial public purposes.

To you, my dear sir, I will not scruple to say inconfidence that the Bank of New York shall sufferno diminution of its pecuniary facilities from anyaccommodation it may afford to the society inquestion. I feel my reputation much concerned inits welfare.

I would not wish any formal communication ofthis letter to the directors, but you may makeknown my wishes to such of them as you mayjudge expedient.

Duer was ultimately thrown into debtors’prison in New York and other New Yorkdirectors felt it necessary to attend to their ownpersonal finances. Subscribers were nowunwilling or unable to invest and the S.U.M.lost its early momentum. Duer would languishand die in prison. Hamilton, never fullyforsaking the friend that placed his vision inperil, appealed to a creditor in a letter askingfor understanding of Duer’s unfortunate plight.

Financially crippled, the remaining directors ofthe S.U.M. turned to Hamilton for guidance.(Mitchell, p.192) He volunteered hisleadership. Until a new superintendent washired, Hamilton essentially (thoughunofficially) served as the manager of thePaterson site and as the de facto governor ofthe S.U.M. all at once.

Recovery and Reversal

The task of immediate recovery was enormous.Despite the obstacles, Hamilton continued tobe dedicated to his grand manufacturingexperiment. He attended meetings of theboard and visited Paterson despite a bout withyellow fever. The directors finally found areplacement and hired Peter Colt, aConnecticut shipping merchant, assuperintendent.

Colt, though untrained as an engineer, wasbrought in to be the superintendent of theS.U.M. in 1793. L’Enfant did not bow to hissupervision, and eventually left the site with allof his plans later that year. Colt proceeded, asbest as he was able, to continue construction ofthe industrial buildings as finances wouldallow. The first, a small frame cotton mill wasconstructed, but powered by an ox and knownas the “Bull Mill.” (Shriner, p. 62) A canal wascompleted in January 1794, and water powerbecame available later that year. The secondcotton mill, so long in the plans andconstructed of stone and wood, opened in June1794.

Despite Colt’s improved management, theenterprise continued to decline. In 1796, at anemergency meeting, the S.U.M. ceasedoperations and dismissed the majority ofdirectors from their duty only five years afterthe signing of the charter. Hamilton’senvisioned manufacturing enterprise was toenter a lengthy period of land leasing and waterpower development enriching other aspiringindustrialists. It would never live up to thecharge of its far-reaching charter to deal andtrade in its own manufactures.


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As Ron Chernow has concluded:

By early 1796, with Hamilton still on the board,the society abandoned its final lines of business,discontinued work at the factory, and put thecotton mill up for sale. Hamilton’s fertile dreamleft behind only a set of derelict buildings by theriver. At first, it looked as if the venture hadcompletely backfired. During the next two years,not a single manufacturing society received acharter in the United States. Hamilton’s faith intextile manufacturing in Paterson was eventuallyvindicated in the early 1800s as a ‘raceway’ systemof canals powered textile mills and other forms ofmanufacturing, still visible today in the GreatFalls Historic District. The City that Hamiltonhelped to found did achieve fame for extensivemanufacturing operations, including foundries,textile mills, locomotive factories, and the ColtGun works. Hamilton had chosen the wrongsponsors at the wrong time. (Chernow, pp. 386-387)

Another Hamilton biographer, RichardBrookhiser, notes somewhat more bluntly:

The Society for the Establishment of UsefulManufactures never recovered, and the ‘Report onManufactures’ was a dead letter. (Brookhiser, p.107)

As a real estate venture, rather than amanufacturing colossus, the S.U.M. wasultimately to prosper. In 1800 part of thecotton mill was being used. A few othermanufacturers trickled in and rented out millseats (the site upon which a mill is located),breathing a small bit of life into the all butabandoned site.

Despite a fire that destroyed the cotton mill, anew raceway was cut in 1807 paid for by

surplus income from the leasing of the millseats. This was the first large investment madein Paterson in over 10 years, and theavailability of additional power allowed for twomore cotton mills to be built. Higherdomestic demands for textiles came with theWar of 1812 and the City began to grow andprosper. At the close of the war, the marketbecame flooded with foreign goods andPaterson endured its second setback with millsidle and workers dismissed. The Cityweathered this new storm and began theprocess of renewal once more. This newcapacity was partially enabled due to thecompletion of a second canal in 1829, greatlyexpanding the available water power.

A third crisis point for Paterson occurred in1834 and 1837, when banks failed due tomassive speculation. Industry, however,continued to pick up in diversified forms.Paterson’s industrial future was about to befinally realized. It would not be the success ofthe S.U.M. as Hamilton envisioned it, but therealization of manufacturing diversity, and useof an immigrant work force would occur in

S.U.M. Hydroelectric Plant, Mcbride Avenue, Paterson,Passaic County, NJ. NPS photo.


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Paterson and last into the next century. Thesame phenomenon would occur at the sametime elsewhere in New Jersey and the nation.

Power for the Mills

A major reason for the Great Falls designationas a National Historic Landmark was the earlyharnessing of its water power resources. Thefollowing discussion of water power is largelydrawn from the Historic AmericanEngineering Record (HAER) Great Falls-SUMSurvey, authored by Russell I. Fries.

Research has indicated that there were at leastfour stages of development of the Great Falls

Historic District water power system. Thefirst, between 1792 and 1794 provided for thebasic water supply system and a portion of themiddle basin. Between 1800 and 1802, thesystem was extended and the middle canal waspossibly enlarged. From1806 to 1807, thelower raceway along Boudinot Street wasadded. Additions made between 1827 and1846 were the most extensive and largely formthe system as it exists today.

The first plan for diverting the waters of thePassaic for powering the mills of the S.U.M.were drawn up by Pierre C. L’Enfant, who wasappointed in July, 1792. He began the designof a grand undertaking that would include atransportation canal over part of thewatercourse and aqueduct. His plans includedthe construction of a reservoir to ensure asupply to the mills in periods of low river flow.The costly plans and L’Enfant’s lack of desire tostay within the S.UM.’s financial meansresulted in his being replaced by Peter Colt.

Colt continued aspects of L’Enfant’s work andin mid-January of 1794, a channel from theriver and floodgates had been completed, aswell as a dam. The canal was finished andplaced into operation in June 1794 to powerthree or four mills.

In the first decade of the 1800s, businessactivity at the Great Falls began to improve andplans were made to extend the canal. Headand tail races (the latter being canals to rid thesystem of water once it had been used by themills) were constructed west of Mill Street andare still extant. This improvement added about500 feet of mill lots along the street andincreased the depth and capacity of the middleraceway.

S.U.M. Hydroelectric Plant, Mcbride Avenue, Paterson,Passaic County, NJ. Interior view of penstocks, turbines,and generators. HAER, Library of Congress.


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In 1806-7 additional improvements were madeto allow a second tier of mill sites using waterat the elevation of the tail race from the middlecanal as the head race for the new sites. Thesewere located between the river and the presentVan Houten Street. Water from the canal wentthrough each lot and returned to the river viaindividual tail races. A spillway at the east endof Boudinot Street handled excess water. Eachof the above two improvements had a head of22 feet available.

The third expansion of the system, and themost elaborate and expensive, was the additionof a new upper tier of mill lots on the west side

of Spruce Street, completed in 1827. Theaddition required that the level of the wholesystem be raised almost to the base of the riverto gain a further head of 22 feet for the newsites. The dam at the end of the ravine wasraised and most likely enlarged. The deep gapwas enlarged and partially filled to raise thewater level, and after passing through, thewater made an immediate right angle bendalong the face of the ridge for almost 1,000feet. The new canal was cut into the hillsidewith an embankment to hold the water. Waterfor the middle canal passed through the uppercanal and the new tier of mill lots. This

Water from the upper raceway flows through the Ivanhoe spillway. NPS photo.


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required the tail race for the new upper groupof mills to be higher than the old middle canal.Tail races on Spruce Street were raised on anembankment from 10 to 15 feet high.As mill lots developed, even theseimprovements became tested by 1850. TheS.U. M. was forced to sell water rights tonewcomers contingent upon an adequatesupply to other mills. The only significantchanges to the system after 1846 were thecovering of several sections of the tail race onMill and present day Market Streets. After1850, many of Paterson’s new mills werelocated outside the Great Falls Historic Districtand used steam as a power source instead ofturbines powered by water.

Between 1912 and 1914, the S.U.M. openedanother chapter by constructing a hydroelectricpower generating station at the base of theGreat Falls. A steam generating plant was alsobuilt for when the river was too low to run theelectrical plant. Designed by the ThomasEdison Electric Company, the hydro-electricplant produced 4849 kilowatts and operateduntil 1969. The plant was purchased by theCity of Paterson and restored to service in1986 to produce almost 11,000 kilowatts perhour.

Major Industries, People andEvents at the Great Falls

From the 1830s on, the area comprising today’sGreat Falls Historic District hummed with thesounds of railroad locomotive works and thetextile trade. Paper-making, rope and hempproduction settled into plants. Textiles ofcotton, wool and silk, as well as arms weremanufactured.

The Irish came in large numbers during andafter their Great Famine of the 1840s andstarted anew as industrial laborers. Their risingpopulations caused those controlling politicalpower to have concerns as the residents of the“Dublin” section of the City, near the GreatFalls, struggled for increased representation.Skilled silk workers from England and Lyon,France, as well as Lodz, Poland arrived. Jewsfrom Poland, Germany and Russia broughtskills and traditions. Italian immigrants, andlater African-Americans, joined the alreadydiverse workforce. Labor unrest would igniteafter the turn of the century, ironically in theCity that was founded on Hamilton’sproposition in his Report on Manufactures thatwomen, children and immigrants were bestsuited to be the ones to produce the goods fora prosperous nation.

The City would continue to experience timesof boom and bust as it progressed from theearly days of the S.U.M. A fourth crisisoccurred in 1857 when nearly every factorystopped and thousands lost their jobs. The lastdecade of the 19th century would be thepinnacle of industrial output in Paterson, andits status in silk production gained it thenickname “Silk City.

As the 19th century continued and the 20th

century dawned and wore on through theGreat Depression, Paterson’s prosperity, likeother industrial centers, continued to turn onand off. It ultimately followed the path ofdecline of most other older Northeasternindustrial cities. The post World War IIdecline would still most of the factories at thesame time that increasing numbers of African-Americans flowed in from the segregatedSouth, seeking their own very late-arrivingopportunities for economic advancement. The


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opportunities were in a state of decline.Immigrants from other places search for thesame opportunities in Paterson today. Unlikeduring its industrial peak, however, the millsites adjacent to the Great Falls are mostlyquiet with even fewer economic opportunitiesto offer. Its great heritage and associatedimportant stories of our nation’s industrial past,however, live on.

Locomotive Manufacturing

Thomas Rogers was born in Groton,Connecticut in 1792. He moved to Patersonin 1812. Having been trained in carpentry andas a blacksmith in Connecticut, he formedbusinesses in Paterson designing and buildingmachinery for textile manufacturing. In 1832,he teamed up with two New York Cityfinanciers, Morris Ketchum and JasperGrosvenor, to form the manufacturing firm ofRogers, Ketchum and Grosvenor. Thecompany diversified, making among otheritems small parts for the newly developingrailroad industry.

The production of railroad locomotives andrails in the United States followed earlierdevelopments in England. Colonel JohnStevens of Hoboken, New Jersey constructed asteam wagon in his yard in 1825. In 1829Peter Cooper of New York built the TomThumb and it was placed into service on thenewly constructed Baltimore and OhioRailroad. In 1830 the West Point Foundryproduced the first fully American built steamengine, Best Friend, to conduct scheduledpassenger service on the Charleston andHamburg Railroad. In 1831 the De WittClinton reached 25 miles per hour on theMohawk and Hudson Railroad.

Matthias W. Baldwin of Philadelphia madedrawings of the Stephenson and Co.locomotive John Bull that was being stored inBordentown, New Jersey prior to beingassembled to run on Colonel John Stevens’Camden and Amboy Railroad. In 1832Baldwin produced his first locomotive, OldIronsides, which was used on the Philadelphia,Germantown and Norristown Railroad andstayed in service for 20 years. His locomotiveworks were ultimately to become the largest inthe United States, producing over 70,500locomotives when it ceased operations in 1956.

Danforth Locomotive & Machine Company, MarketStreet, Paterson, Passaic County, NJ. Photocopy of anengraving—ca, 1850-1859. HAER, Library of Congress.


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In 1835, Rogers, Ketchum and Grosvenorassembled its first locomotive for the Patersonand Hudson River Railroad, one that hadactually been built by the same Britishmanufacturer, Robert Stephenson andCompany. In 1837 Rogers designed and builtthe Sandusky which contained his own designinnovations. The Sandusky was placed inservice in Ohio.

As Rogers’ reputation grew in producinglocomotives of endurance and increasingpower, more orders arrived and the firmestablished itself in an important position inthe industry. It also spawned other producersfrom within its own ranks. Rogers’ shopforeman, William Swinburne, left to form hisown locomotive works in partnership withSamuel Smith in 1845. Swinburne and Smithand Company went under a decade later in the1857 financial panic. It soon afterwards was to

be reorganized and purchased by the New Yorkand Erie Railroad as a maintenance shop.

Another employee, John Cooke, formedDanforth, Cooke and Company in Paterson in1852. This firm later changed to Cooke andCompany, and was ultimately purchased by theAmerican Locomotive Company shortly afterthe turn of the century. It produced close to3,000 units before closing in 1926. Duringthe late 19th century, Paterson was establishingitself as a major center for locomotivemanufacturing in the country. The GrantLocomotive Company was also located in theCity.

Perhaps the most popularly known locomotiveproduced by Rogers was that bearing the serialnumber 631. Built in late 1855, thelocomotive was purchased by the Western andAtlantic Railroad. Christened The General, the

Rogers Locomotive & Machine Works, Spruce & Market Streets, Paterson, Passaic County, NJ. Photocopy of AssociatedMutual Fire Insurance Map-1906. HAER, Library of Congress.


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locomotive would become famous during theCivil War for an attempt by Union cavalry tohighjack the Confederate train it waspowering. The event was popularized in the1962 movie, “The Great Chase.” Thelocomotive The General is preserved today atthe Southern Museum of Civil War andLocomotive History in Kennesaw, Georgia.

Thomas Rogers died in 1856 and his son JacobS. Rogers took the helm and reorganized thefirm into Rogers Locomotive and Machineworks. The company maintained itscompetitive position in the industry andprospered.

A Rogers locomotive (Union Pacific #119),built in 1868, was present at the driving of the“Golden Spike” marking the completion of thefirst transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869at Promontory, Utah, although that was notthe original plan of the event sponsors.Mishaps and weather events affecting otherlocomotives left #119 as the next in line toparticipate. Although scrapped in 1903, areplica of the locomotive is located at theGolden Spike National Historic Site, a unit ofthe national park system.

In the early 1890s Jacob S. Rogers resignedthe presidency, but remained an investor, andthe company was reorganized under its formertreasurer, Robert S. Hughes, as the RogersLocomotive Company. Hughes died in 1900and the works were closed in 1901 by Rogers,who died later that year. Rogers left much ofhis fortune and a legacy of many valuableworks of art to the Metropolitan Museum ofArt in New York City.

Reorganized once more, the plant reopenedbriefly, but could not compete with a newer

conglomerate, the American LocomotiveCompany (ALCO) or its older rival, and theconsistently leading U.S. manufacturer, theBaldwin Locomotive Works of Philadelphia. Itwas finally absorbed into ALCO before the endof the decade, joining its neighbor, the CookeLocomotive and Machine Works. ALCOcontinued making locomotives at the Rogers’plant for a few more years when majorlocomotive production and an important era inPaterson’s history came to an end.

Today, the Paterson Museum occupies theformer Rogers’ erecting shop and offersinterpretive exhibits and programs of the City’sindustrial past. The New Jersey CommunityDevelopment Corporation occupies the formerRogers locomotive frame fitting shop and theformer administration building which hadsince been converted to a textile factory. Bothbuildings comprise the Senator Frank R.Lautenberg Transportation OpportunityCenter and Independence House.

Samuel Colt and the Gun Mill

Samuel Colt was born in Hartford,Connecticut in 1814, the son of a textilesmanufacturer. As a teenager, he went to seaand legend persists that he conceived of hisinvention on a voyage and carved a woodenmodel of the revolving breach cylinder on theship. He later had models made of thecylinder and secured an English patent in 1835and one in America in 1836.

In 1836, he established the Patent ArmsManufacturing Company in Paterson. Coltwas unsuccessful in attracting contracts withthe government. The company was forced to


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close in 1842 after producing approximately5,000 guns.

Samuel Colt was to later to make his fortunewhen he returned to his home stateConnecticut. Awarded a government contractfor revolvers to be used by U.S. troops in theMexican American War, Colt urgently neededmanufacturing space. He temporarily foundspace at Eli Whitney’s factory and thenestablished Colt’s Patent Fire ArmsManufacturing Company in Hartford in 1848.Completed in 1855, Colt made it one the mostadvanced interchangeable parts factories in thenation. The Colt facility in Hartford, named“Coltsville,” included the factory and workershousing and continued its production through

World Wars I and II. The Colt Company stillexists, but is no longer located at the Hartfordsite. His guns became popular amongindividuals on the western frontier, primarilyafter the factory moved to Hartford.

After his untimely death in 1862, Colt’s wifeElizabeth took over the direction of theHartford company for close to 39 years. Theirnearby home, Armsmear, is a NHL. An NHLnomination for several Colt Company factorybuildings and workers’ housing has beensubmitted for formal consideration by theLandmarks Committee of the National ParkSystem Advisory Board.

The remaining Patent Arms ManufacturingCompany resources at the Great Falls havesignificantly less integrity than those inHartford. The Colt mill in Paterson was amulti-storied structure built near the GreatFalls. A weather vane in the shape of a gun satatop a bell tower. As the Colt operation

Samuel Colt, 1814-1862. This image is in the publicdomain because its copyright has expired.

Gun Mill ruins, Paterson, NJ. NPS Photo.


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wound down, the building was used for othermanufactures including early silk production.Later, the upper floors were removed. In 1983,the building was subjected to the arson causedfires of the Allied Textile Printing (ATP) site ofwhich it is an integral part. Only the walls ofthe first two stories remain today.

John Holland and the Submarine

John Phillip Holland was born in 1841 on thewest coast of Ireland not far from the Cliffs ofMoher in Liscannor, County Clare. He joinedthe Irish Christian Brothers and became ateacher. He was particularly interested inscience and the development of the flyingmachine and the submarine, completing hisearliest design for the latter in 1869. Hedeclined to take his perpetual vows into theChristian Brothers in 1872.

Holland left Ireland for the United States in1873 to join his previously relocated motherand brothers in Boston. He moved to Patersonand took a teaching position at St. John’sParochial School. Two years after his arrival inthe U.S., he submitted a submarine design tothe Navy Department, the first of a numberthe Department chose not to accept.With financing from the Irish FenianBrotherhood, a group committed to freeingIreland from British control, John Hollandbuilt his first submarine in 1877. TheBrotherhood was seeking a submarine thatcould be transported by ship and dropped offclose to a British ship for the purpose ofsinking it. It was constructed at the AlbanyCity Iron Works in New York City.Designated Holland I, the craft was moved tothe J. C. Todd and Company machine shop inPaterson for the installation of a petroleum

The Paterson Colts, Paterson Museum, Paterson, NJ.NPS Photo.

John Phillip Holland. This image is in the public domainbecause its copyright has expired.


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powered Brayton engine. The 14-foot longHolland I was launched in the Passaic Riverabove the Great Falls in May and June 1878.Holland managed to take his submarine downto 12 feet for approximately one hour, but didnot use the malfunctioning engine. Instead, heattached a flexible hose to an accompanyinglaunch and powered the submarine by steam.Despite the malfunctioning engine, the FenianBrotherhood was impressed with this initialperformance and agreed to fund a larger vessel.Holland scuttled the hull of his first submarineinto the Passaic River. It was discovered in1927 and is currently on display at thePaterson Museum.

Holland’s further submarine endeavors and hismajor contributions to the United States Navyas “The Father of the Modern Submarine”

took place outside of Paterson. The onlystructural resource connected with his Patersonlaunching is the remains of the J.C. Todd andCompany machine shop which was mostlydestroyed by a series of fires at the AlliedTextile Printing Site beginning in 1983.

Holland’s second Fenian Brotherhood financedsubmarine, the 31-foot Fenian Ram wasconstructed by the Delamater Iron Companyin Manhattan and first launched into theHudson River in 1881. The ensuing trialswere successful and a number of descents wereaccomplished. Holland also test fired unarmedprojectiles provided by John Ericsson, designerof the Civil War ironclad, the Monitor.Because of internal financial disputes, theBrotherhood stole the submarine in November1883 under cover of night and towed it to New

The Holland I, Paterson Museum. NPS photo.


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Haven, Connecticut where it was stored andlater abandoned in a lumber shed. In 1916,the submarine was taken to Madison SquareGarden for a fund raising endeavor for victimsof the Easter uprising in Dublin. It was thenremoved to what is now the New York StateMaritime College at Fort Schuyler. In 1927 itwas purchased and moved to West Side Park inPaterson and more recently to the PatersonMuseum where it is currently on display.

John Ryle and “Silk City”

Paterson’s history is perhaps most readilyidentified by its label “Silk City.” It is one thatis well deserved. During the late 19th and early20th centuries Paterson’s silk mills suppliedclose to 50% of the country’s entire silkproduction and ranked second behindConnecticut in the production of spool silk inthe United States. Well over 100 factories andmills were involved in all aspects of silkmanufacturing and necessary support in thelate 1880s, employing thousands of skilled andunskilled workers, mostly recent immigrants,in jobs such as weavers, dyers, throwers andtwisters.

The first attempt at silk production in Patersonoccurred in Samuel Colt’s gun factory in 1838.Christopher Colt attempted to weave silk onthe fourth floor of the gun mill. It was quicklyrealized that the enterprise would beunprofitable and it was abandoned.

Christopher Colt sold his machinery to GeorgeMurray, who previously had owned a silkbusiness. Murray brought in John Ryle, aknowledgeable person in the silk trade whocame to America from the silk manufacturingcenter in Macclesfield, England. Ryle had

initially taken a position as superintendent of asmall mill in Northampton, Massachussets, butwas at the time working in New York City as amerchant for a silk factory in Macclesfieldowned by his brothers.

Murray initially recruited Ryle to run his newventure from the Colt gun mill which hepurchased in 1840. They became partners in1843 and Ryle took over completely whenMurray retired in a few years later. As thebusiness flourished, Ryle bought the gun milland constructed additional structures at thesite. He later built his own mill, named afterMurray which was lost to fire. The businesswent through ups and downs and almostfloundered during the 1857 financialdownturn. A new Murray mill wasconstructed in 1869. The business sufferedhardships again in 1872, but Ryle emergedonce more, reorganizing as John Ryle andSons. This firm later became part of thePioneer Silk Company.

During his tenure, Ryle became a major forcein silk production, lobbying for relaxation oftariffs on imported raw materials. He was thefirst to produce silk thread on a spool,

John Ryle’s house. NPS photo.


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responding to a request from Elias Howe, themanufacturer of sewing machines (Shriner, p.81).

Two of his employees, Robert Hamil andJames Booth would form their own successfulfirm of Hamil and Booth beginning in 1855.Other silk enterprises were established andprospered in Paterson both within and outsideof the Great Falls Historic District well into thenext century. Many were smaller operationsthat came and went using and reusing existingmills in the historic district for silkmanufacturing and dyeing, or related work.

While many historic mill resources associatedwith the silk industry were significantlydamaged in the ATP site fires, a number ofmills periodically used for such manufacturesremain. Among these are the Franklin Mill,Essex Mill, Congdon Mill, Harmony andIndustry Mills which were operated by theWilliams and Adams Company, and the

Lambert Castle. NPS photo.

ATP Site, postcard. Paterson Museum.


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Pheonix Mill, the oldest mill in the district.John Ryles’ house, although moved slightlyfrom its original site, is also located in thedistrict, now converted to office use.

Above and outside the Great Falls HistoricDistrict on nearby Garrett Mountain is BelleVista, often called “Lambert’s Castle.” It wasbuilt by Catholina Lambert in 1892. Lambertestablished the silk operations of Dexter,Lambert and Company on Straight Street inPaterson, outside the Great Falls HistoricDistrict, in 1866. He came from animpoverished background in England, hisparents being mill laborers, and had served an

apprenticeship at an English cotton mill.Lambert rose to become one of the wealthiestof Paterson’s “Silk Barons.” The castle nowserves as the headquarters of the PassaicCounty Historical Society.

The Silk Strike of 1913

While the silk industry thrived and the“Barons” became wealthy, labor unrest wassoon to affect the City. Initially, silk workerswere recruited or arrived from NorthernEurope; at the end of the 19th century manywere from Eastern and Southern Europe.Difficult working conditions and the threat ofnew technological innovations in the millsresulted in labor unrest and union activities.Work interruptions became commonplace andmany silk manufacturers began movingoperations to locations with less labor conflictin Pennsylvania and elsewhere.

During the late 19th and early 20th century,conflict between labor and management wasgrowing not only in Paterson, but throughoutthe country. Establishment of labor unionswas on the rise and major labor actions werebecoming more frequent. Strikes and eventsdemonstrating continuing labor unrestincluded the Great Railroad Strike of 1877, theHaymarket Riot in Chicago in 1886, theHomestead “Lockout” in Pennsylvania in1892, the Pullman strikes in Illinois in 1893and 1894, the Anthracite Coal Strike inPennsylvania in 1902, the New York ShirtwaistStrike of 1909, and the Lawrence Textile Strikein Massachusetts in 1912 to name just a few.

Paterson was not a stranger to labor actions,having been the scene of one of the nation’searliest actions, the 1835 strike by childThe Phoenix Mill. NPS photos.


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laborers in some 20 factories protesting 13½hour working days. The strike wore on for sixweeks and resulted in a partial win for thechildren. The settlement was reached for 12hours of work on weekdays and 9 hours onSaturday.

The Paterson Silk Strike of 1913 includedrequests for increased wages and an 8 hourwork day. It was primarily focused, however,on the impact of technology which permittedone worker to tend three or four looms insteadof the usual two. Workers saw the newtechnology as a threat to their livelihoods. At

the Doherty Silk Mill, one of Paterson’s largest,workers walked out on January 27, 1913because of the installation of the newermachines throughout the factory. Workers inother mills soon joined the walk out.Ultimately, an estimated 24,000 workers wereinvolved.

Paterson’s mills had attracted the attention ofthe Industrial Workers of the World (IWW),commonly referred to as the “Wobblies.” Theunion was fresh from its success in leading theLawrence, Massachusetts “Bread and Roses”strike. Paterson mill owners responded harshly,bringing in outside strikebreakers. Patersonpolice also took strong actions against thestriking workers.

The IWW brought in many prominentsocialists and labor leaders including ElizabethGurley Flynn, Carlo Tresca, Bill Haywood,Emma Goldman, Margaret Sanger, EugeneDebs and Upton Sinclair. Forbidden to gatherfor meetings in Paterson, major rallies wereheld at the home of Maria and Pietro Botto innearby Haledon. The Bottos were Italianimmigrants who had worked in the Patersonmills. Their home, now a NHLcommemorating its role in the strike, is the siteof the American Labor Museum.

Living conditions for the striking workersbecame more difficult during the strike and theorganizers provided for many children to besent out of the city to stay with volunteeringfamilies predominately in New York City andElizabeth. The IWW leaders also attracted theinterest of intellectuals in New York City andplans were made for a great pageant atMadison Square Garden focusing on thePaterson strike as a vehicle to raise funds. OnJune 7, 1913 thousands attended the pageant

I.W.W. Pageant of the Paterson Silk Strike. Lithographby Robert Edmund Jones. American Labor Museum,Botto House National Landmark.


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with silk workers portraying strike events andactivities.

Mill owners continued to refuse to give in tostriker demands and remained financiallyviable, in part by the fact that they couldredirect manufacturing orders to their relocatedmills in Pennsylvania. After 22 weeks, thesolidarity among strikers began to show cracksas some and then more workers returned to themills.

The strike ended along with the effectivenessof the IWW in the northeast. In 1919, after aseries of smaller strikes, many silk workers inPaterson won the 8-hour workday.

Silk mills continued to prosper in Patersonduring World War I. In time, many smallerconcerns were bought up by larger companiessuch as the Standard Silk Dying Company andAllied Textile Printers. As technologicaladvancements occurred in the developmentof synthetic fabrics including nylon and rayon,Paterson’s role as “Silk City” came to a close.

Cotton, Flax, Paper, Hemp and Jute

Cotton was the product of the Great FallsHistoric District’s first mill, constructed by theS.U.M., and the later Phoenix Mill,constructed circa 1813. The original portionof the Phoenix Mill is the oldest currentlystanding mill in the district, now converted tohousing. Mills in the district continuedproducing cotton fabrics and thread along withother products.

John Colt produced cotton duck and a durablesail cloth for vessels. The inability to obtaincotton during the Civil War meant many

northern textile mills closed or sought otherraw materials.

One of the largest of the mills at Great Fallswas the Barbour Flax Spinning Company.Thomas Barbour came to the United Statesfrom Lisburn, Ireland circa 1850 to establishan American branch of his family’s Lisburnmanufacturing interests—William Barbourand Sons. In 1852 he established a businessconcern at Exchange Place in New Yorkdealing in threads and twines, including thoseof his family’s Lisburn mill. In 1864 he movedto Paterson and began operations at the millpreviously used by John Colt for the

Barbour Flax Spinning Company, Spruce Street Mill,Spruce & Barbour Streets, Paterson, Passaic County, NJ.East elevation. HAER NJ,16-pat,7-b-1. Library ofCongress.


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production of cotton duck. Barbour was toconstruct two more mills as the businessgrew.

Henry Butler, born in Connecticut and the sonof a paper mill owner, came to Paterson in1837 and began paper manufacturing in thePassaic Mill. In 1850 he constructed theIvanhoe Mill and continued his paper makingenterprise as the Ivanhoe Manufacturing

Company, making it one of the most popularbrands in the nation. Although there wereten buildings associated with the Ivanhoeoperations, only the wheelhouse structure remains today between the upper and middleS.U.M. constructed raceway.

The manufacture of rope, twine and carpetbacking from hemp and jute was also a part of

Photocopy of a Lithograph—ca. 1880-1889. Barbour’s Flax Thread Works: Paterson, New Jersey (8x10 neg.)HAER NJ,16-PAT,7-A-1. Barbour Flax Spinning Company, Granite Mill, Spruce & Barbour Streets, Paterson, PassaicCounty, NJ. Library of Congress.


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Paterson’s industrial past. The Dolphin JuteCompany was one of the largest of theseenterprises in the Great Falls Historic District.The Company occupied some of the RogersLocomotive Works’ buildings, along with thePaterson Silk Exchange, when Rogers ceasedoperations.

Mills at the Great Falls were used and reused bydifferent manufacturers during the history ofthe area. The Phoenix Mill, and Colt Mill, aswell as both Passaic mills, for example, were thesites of many different industries, as wereothers. Reuse of mills within the districtcontinues today with public and private usesincluding housing, offices and the PatersonMuseum in the places that once rang with thesounds of industrial production and labor.Paterson’s present plans for the district are forcontinued adaptive reuse of the mills.

The Great Falls and its industries secured forPaterson a major portion of its rich industrialhistory. The district, however, was not theonly location in the City for such uses. Majorsilk operations like Dexter and Lambert onStraight Street were located elsewhere. The

Wright Aeronautical Company which came toPaterson in 1919 to Lewis Street produced theengine that powered Charles Lindberg’s Spiritof St. Louis across the Atlantic Ocean to Francein 1927. Wright Aeronautical would becomeCurtiss-Wright Corporation in 1929 and thecompany would go on to produce enginesand aircraft that helped win World War II.The corporation still exists, but no longer inPaterson.

A Final Note on the S.U.M.

The S.U.M. continued its operations forapproximately 153 years after its establishmentin 1792. While it did not fulfill the vision ofits founders, it did prosper during its historyfrom real estate and water power ventures. In1945, the S.U.M.’s charter and remainingproperty were purchased by the City ofPaterson, which now owns the preponderanceof the Great Falls Historic District.

The Franklin Mill. NPS photos.


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Historic District Resources

The Great Falls Historic District basicallycomprises a collection of predominately 19thcentury mills (some with later additions), otherstructures and water power raceways along thePassaic River below the Great Falls. The millsno longer contain original equipment,although representative machinery for textileand locomotive manufacturing exist at thePaterson Museum, located in a building of theformer Rogers Locomotive Works.

Probably the earliest construction material usedfor mills in the district was cut brownstoneblock set in a minimal mortar bed. Typically,brownstone block walls were at least 18 inchesthick. Cut brownstone also comprises themajority of the retaining wall along the PassaicRiver. Brick appears to have replaced cutbrownstone in the next generation of mills.Multi-wythe wall sections of three to fivewythes of brick were interlaced with soldiercourses for durability. Timber and woodframing was also used for construction.Generally the configuration included rough cutfloor joists bearing on timber girders spanning

to 12 inch square wood columns. Moremodern 20th century structures or additionswere constructed of steel and concrete(Maxman pp. D-49-D59).

A series of fires at the ATP site substantiallydamaged most of the 30 buildings there,including some of the district’s most importanthistoric resources. This site is among theproperties now included within the boundariesof the newly designated state park. Theremaining resources in the district outside ofthe ATP site largely retain a high degree ofintegrity and many have been adaptively reusedfor other purposes.

The ATP site lies within the heart of thehistoric district and consists of approximately 7acres. It contains portions of the S.U.M.constructed raceways and the ruins ofnumerous historic mill structures. Amongmills within the ATP site were some of theearliest in the district. It was here that theS.U.M. established a mill in 1794. Included,too, was the Colt Mill (1836) where SamuelColt produced his first firearms and in thesame building John Ryle brought silk textile

The Essex Mill. NPS photos.


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manufacturing to Paterson. Additionalbuildings constructed by Ryle were also at thesite. The Todd Mill (c. 1876), where theengine for John Holland’s first submarine wasfitted, was located here, along with the Waverly(1857) and Mallory (c. 1860) textile mills andthe Passaic Mill complex.

Many of these resources were later consolidatedunder the ownership of larger manufacturingenterprises in the late 19th and early 20thcenturies including, successively, the Knipscherand Maass Silk Dyeing Company, StandardSilk Dyeing Company, and Allied TextilePrinting Company. The remainder of theGreat Falls Historic District is comprised ofbuildings associated with the S.U.M,locomotive and textile manufacturing, andother manufacturing enterprises.

Buildings directly associated with the S.U.M.include the hydroelectric plant (1914), a fieldhouse (1914), remnants of the steam andboiler plant (1876), two gate houses (1846 and1906), and the S.U.M. administration building(c. 1920). The upper (begun in 1847), middle(begun in 1792) and lower (1807) water powerraceways, including head and tail races are

virtually all intact. The S.U.M. Passaic StreetBridge (1858) also remains.

Buildings associated with locomotivemanufacturing include the Rogers LocomotiveWorks’ administration building (1881), theerecting shop (1871), the frame fitting shop(1881), and the millwright shop (rebuilt in1879 on the site of the Passaic Paper Mill(1832). In 1974 archeological excavationswere conducted at the site of the formerblacksmith shop.

Danforth and Cooke Locomotive Companyresources include the the office building(1881), and the foundry (1831). The site ofthe Grant Locomotive Company erecting shop(c. 1850) was the subject of archeologicalexcavations in 1974.

Buildings associated with textile and silkcompanies include the Barbour Flax Companycomplex including the flax mill (1860) and theGranite Mill (1881). Other textilemanufacturing resources in the district includethe Franklin Mill (c. 1870 with later addition),the Essex Mill (1871), the Congdon ofNightingale Mill (1915), the Phoenix Mill (the

The Harmony Mill. NPS photo. The Nightingale Mill. NPS photo.


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oldest extant mill in the district with portionsconstructed in 1816 and additions c.1826), theHarmony Mill (1876), the Industry Mill (1875and 1879), and the Addy Mill (1873-1880).

The Old Yellow Mill (originally built in 1803and rebuilt in 1856) was an early paper rollingfactory and joins the Ivanhoe Wheel house asthe major remnants of paper manufacturing inthe district. The Dolphin Jute Mill Complex(1844 and later addition) also remains.

Historic homes within the district includethose of John Ryle (1830), BenjaminThompson (1835) and John Colt (1850).

Other than the S.U.M.-constructed waterpower improvements, the extant resources ofthe Great Falls Historic District are typical ofmany northeastern cities that experiencedindustrialization in the 19th century.

Workers in the silk mills c. 1910. Paterson Museum.


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This PageBlank

Chapter Three | Designation Analysis

Analyses of National Significance, Suitability,Feasibility and Need for NPS Management

Designation AnalysisSpecial Resource Study | Great Falls Historic District | Paterson, New Jersey

Designation Analysis

Introduction ................................................................ 43

National Significance of theGreat Falls Historic District ......................................... 43

Suitability Analysis of theGreat Falls Historic District ......................................... 45

The Great Falls of thePassaic–The Natural Feature ....................................... 45

The Great Falls HistoricDistrict–Cultural Resources .......................................... 47

Peopling Places ........................................................... 47

Expanding Science and Technology ............................ 50

Alexander Hamilton andDeveloping the American Economy ............................ 55

Determination of Suitability ........................................ 63

Feasibility Analysis ...................................................... 64

Determination of Feasibility ........................................ 67

Analysis of the Need for NPS Management ............... 67

Potential for Affiliated Area Status ............................. 68

Study Conclusions ...................................................... 69

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Designation AnalysisAnalyses of National Significance,Suitability, Feasibilityand Need for NPS Management

IntroductionFor a determination to be made as to whether aresource should be considered for potentialdesignation as a unit of the national parksystem, analyses are conducted based oncriteria established by Congress in Title III ofPublic Law 105-39, and in accordance withNPS Management Policies. To be eligible forconsideration, an area must:

1. possess nationally significantnatural or cultural resources;

2. be a suitable addition to thesystem;

3. be a feasible addition to thesystem; and

4. require direct NPS managementinstead of alternative protection byother public agencies or the privatesector.

This chapter evaluates the Great Falls HistoricDistrict and applies the criteria for designationas a potential unit of the national park systemcited above.

National Significance of the GreatFalls Historic District

NPS Management Policies provide that aresource will be considered nationallysignificant if it meets all of the followingcriteria:

1. is an outstanding example of aparticular type of resource;

2. possesses exceptional value orquality in illustrating or interpretingthe natural or cultural themes ofour nation’s heritage;

3. offers superlative opportunities forpublic enjoyment, or for scientificstudy; and

4. retains a high degree of integrity asa true, accurate, and relativelyunspoiled example of a resource.

National significance for cultural resources isevaluated by applying the NHL criteriacontained in 36 CFR Part 65. Nationalsignificance is ascribed to districts, sites,buildings, structures and objects that possessexceptional value or quality in illustrating or

Paterson, NJ, Great Falls. NPS Photo.

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interpreting the heritage of the United States inhistory, architecture, archeology, engineeringand culture, and that possess a high degree ofintegrity of location, design, setting, materials,workmanship, feeling and association, andthat:

1. are associated with events thathave made a significantcontribution to, and are identifiedwith, or that outstandinglyrepresent, the broad nationalpatterns of United States historyand from which an understandingand appreciation of those patternsmay be gained; or

2. are associated importantly with thelives of persons nationallysignificant in the history of theUnited States; or

3. represent some great idea or idealof the American people; or

4. embody the distinguishingcharacteristics of an architecturaltype specimen exceptionallyvaluable for the study of a period,style or method of construction, orthat represent a significant,distinctive and exceptional entitywhose components may lackindividual distinction; or

5. are composed of integral parts ofthe environment not sufficientlysignificant by reason of historicalassociation or artistic merit towarrant individual recognition butcollectively compose an entity ofexceptional historical or artisticsignificance, or outstandinglycommemorate or illustrate a way oflife or culture; or

6. have yielded or may be likely toyield information of major scientificimportance by revealing new

cultures, or by shedding light uponperiods of occupation over largeareas of the United States. Suchsites are those which have yielded,or which may reasonably beexpected to yield, data affectingtheories, concepts and ideas to amajor degree.

National significance for natural resources canbe evaluated by applying the NNL criteriacontained in 36 CFR Part 62. Within theNNL Program, national significance describesan area that is one of the best examples of abiological or geological feature known to becharacteristic of a given natural region. Suchfeatures include terrestrial and aquaticecosystems; geologic structures, exposures andlandforms that record active geologic processes,or portions of earth history; and fossil evidenceof biological evolution.

When evaluating national significance incongressionally authorized Special ResourceStudies, resources that have been designated asNHLs or NNLs are considered to already havebeen determined to be nationally significantand require no further analysis.

Resources associated with the S.U.M. withinthe Great Falls Historic District, established byP.L. 104-333, have been designated by theSecretary of Interior as nationally significantfor reasons identified in their specific NHLand NNL designations. The district, therefore,meets the criterion for national significance. Itmust be noted that, during the course of thisstudy, numerous scholars, authors and otherknowledgeable persons have confirmed theimportance of the events and resourcesassociated with the Great Falls HistoricDistrict. The study team also confirmed that

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the resources of the district largely retainintegrity.

Suitability Analysis ofthe Great Falls HistoricDistrict

NPS Management Policies provide that an areais considered suitable for addition to thenational park system if it represents a natural orcultural resource type that is not alreadyadequately represented in the system, or is notcomparably represented and protected forpublic enjoyment by other federal agencies;tribal, state, or local governments; or theprivate sector.

It is important to note that the suitabilityanalysis is not limited, simply, to whetherresources are represented in the system, butextends the analysis to similar resourcesprotected by other public entities and theprivate sector. Adequacy of representation isdetermined on a case-by-case basis bycomparing the potential area to othercomparably managed areas representing thesame resource type, while consideringdifferences or similarities in the character,quality, quantity, or combination of resourcevalues.

The comparative analysis also addresses rarityof the resources; interpretive and educationalpotential; and similar resources alreadyprotected in the national park system or inother public or private ownership. Thecomparison results in a determination ofwhether the proposed new area would expand,enhance, or duplicate resource-protection or

visitor-use opportunities found in othercomparably managed areas.

In evaluating natural resources, a comparison ismade to other similar types of resourcesrepresented in the national park system orprotected by other public or private entities.

The Great Falls of the Passaic – TheNatural FeatureThe Great Falls, 77 feet in height, is the secondlargest waterfall (in width and volume, notheight) in the United States, east of theMississippi River. The American Falls atNiagara Falls, by comparison, is the largest inwidth and volume in the United States and176 feet in height.

The Great Falls were formed approximately13,000 years ago during the end of the last iceage. As the glacier receded, Glacial LakePassaic was formed behind the WatchungMountains. The Falls were carved through theunderlying, approximately 200 million yearold, basalt.

Waterfalls are well represented in many stateparks and in units of the national park systemand other federal lands thoughout the nation.A number of these and their associated rivershave provided power sources for historic andpresent industrial uses.

The American Falls, linked to a major historicand present power source in New York State,are a part of the Niagara Reservation NHL andadministered by the State of New York’s Officeof Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation(OPRHP) as Niagara Falls State Park, alongwith a number of companion state parks alongthe Niagara River and Gorge. ORHP also

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administers Taughannock Falls State Park, siteof a 215 foot waterfall, and Letchworth StatePark, among others.

The High Falls in downtown Rochester is partof a state sponsored heritage area and an urbancultural park celebrating Rochester’s industrialpast. Rochester’s Heritage Area focuses onHigh Falls, a revitalized complex of mills,factories and archaeological sites adjacent tothe Genesee River. Lowell National HistoricalPark also interprets the use of water poweralong falls on the Merrimack River.

The NPS has recently completed acongressionally authorized National HeritageArea (NHA) Feasibility Study to determine if apotential Niagara Falls NHA met criteria forcongressional designation. The studydetermined that the study area, which includedthe American Falls and communities along theNiagara Gorge to Lake Ontario, qualified forcongressional designation as a NHA. Thepreferred alternative in the study includes theestablishment of a limited term FederalCommission to undertake a heritage area planfor the NHA, later to be succeeded by a non-federal management entity after five years.

An earlier reconnaisance analysis performed bythe NPS determined that the Niagara FallsState Park would not meet criteria fordesignation as a unit of the national parksystem because it was already protected by theState of New York and there was no need forNPS management.

One of the themes of the potential heritagearea detailed in the study is the history of waterpower in the region. Legislation to designate aNiagara Falls National Heritage has recentlybeen introduced in Congress.

Numerous state parks throughout the nationfeature waterfalls as scenic and recreationalattractions. The Great Falls, itself, is now partof the New Jersey State Park System. Asampling of other protected resources includeAmicalola Falls State Park in Georgia, SilverFalls State Park in Oregon, Falls Creek andCaesar’s Head State Parks in South Carolina,Ricketts Glen State Park in Pennsylvania, andBlackwater Falls State Park in West Virginia,among many others.

Units of the national park system and otherfederal lands also contain a myriad of waterfallattractions. Some of the nation’s most majesticfalls can be found at Yellowstone, Yosemite(with Yosemite Falls, the highest in the USdropping vertically 2425 feet, Sentinel at 2,000feet, and Silver Strand at 1,182 feet), the GreatSmokies, Grand Teton, Grand Canyon, Mt.Rainier, and Shenandoah, among others.

Crabtree Falls at George Washington NationalForest in Virginia cascade 1200 feet to its base.In the U.S Forest Service-administeredColumbia River Gorge National Scenic Area,Multnomah Falls is one the nation’s highestyear-round, non cascading waterfalls at 620feet.

It is the conclusion of this analysis that theGreat Falls, as the primary natural feature ofthe Great Falls Historic District, and its use forindustrial water power, does not meet thesuitability analysis for potential inclusion in thenational park system. Numerous waterfallresources, including those historically used forwater power and possessing scenic orrecreational values, are already adequatelyrepresented in the national park system orprotected by other federal and stategovernmental entities.

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The Great Falls Historic District –Cultural ResourcesIn evaluating the suitability of culturalresources within or outside the NPS, theService uses its “Thematic Framework” forhistory and prehistory. The framework is anoutline of major themes and concepts that helpto conceptualize American history. It is used toassist in the identification of cultural resourcesthat embody America’s past and to describe andanalyze the multiple layers of historyencapsulated within each resource. Througheight concepts that encompass the multi-faceted and interrelated nature of humanexperience, the thematic framework reflects aninterdisciplinary, less compartmentalizedapproach to American history. The conceptsare:

1. Peopling Places2. Creating Social Institutions3. Expressing Cultural Values4. Shaping the Political Landscape5. Developing the American Economy6. Expanding Science and Technology7. Transforming the Environment8. Changing Role of the United States

in the World Community

The three thematic concepts applicable to theGreat Falls are peopling places, expandingscience and technology, and developing theAmerican economy.

Peopling Places

This theme examines human populationmovement and change through prehistoric andhistoric times. It also looks at familyformation, at different concepts of gender,

family, and sexual division of labor, and at howthey have been expressed in the American past.

The theme includes such topics as family andthe life cycle; health, nutrition, and disease;migration from outside and within;community and neighborhood; ethnichomelands; encounters, conflicts, andcolonization. For the purposes of this study,the topic of migration from outside and withinis most appropriate. The area of significancefor this study is immigration.

Paterson’s industries in the Great Falls HistoricDistrict benefited from immigrant labor duringmuch of its productive period. Indeed, it was astated purpose of Alexander Hamilton, whenthe City was founded, to attract immigrantlabor to this planned industrial city.

During the 19th and early 20th centuries, thelabor force particularly comprised succeedingwaves of English, Irish, German, Polish,Jewish, and Italian immigrants. In the 1830salmost 50% of Paterson’s population was Irish,most settling near the mills of the Great Fallsin an area known as “Dublin.” In 1860, theIrish still comprised 40% of the population.They became a political force in the City andgerrymandering was frequently used in the lastquarter of the 19th century to circumvent theirgrowing power.

As the 20th century arrived, Italian immigrantslocated within the same area. Germans andPoles worked in the mills including manyJewish immigrants. Some were able toultimately establish their own mills andadvance economically as owners.

Working long hours and under harshconditions by today’s standards, immigrant

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workers, both skilled and unskilled, were thebackbone of Paterson’s early and growingindustrial might, particularly in its textile,locomotive and silk factories. The City, today,continues its tradition as a location for recentimmigrants including Hispanic, Latino andMiddle Eastern populations.

Immigration resources and themes are wellrepresented in the national park system andsites associated with immigration are alsoprotected by other entities. Example sitesinclude:

1. Castle Clinton National Monument, NewYork—Constructed as a fort to defend NewYork Harbor between 1808 and 1811, CastleClinton became a major immigration receivingstation. Over 8 million people entered theUnited States through what was then known asCastle Garden between August 3, 1855 andApril 18, 1890 when it was closed. The sitewas later reopened as the New York CityAquarium. Programs and tours trace thehistory of the fort from its defensive role andits changing uses as a theatre, immigrationstation, and aquarium.

2. Statue of Liberty National Monument andEllis Island, New York and New Jersey—A giftfrom the people of France dedicated onOctober 28, 1886, the Statue of Libertybecame a beacon for millions of immigrants toour nation’s shores. The monument includesEllis Island, which became the entry point forover 12 million persons between1892 to 1954.It is the nation’s premier site for interpretingthe American immigration experience as apoint of entry.

3. Lowell National Historical Park,Massachusetts—Located in Lowell, the parkinterprets the American Industrial Revolutionand the experiences of immigrant workers.The Boott Cotton Mills Museum with itsoperating weave room of 88 power looms,“mill girl” boardinghouses, the Suffolk MillTurbine Exhibit and guided tours tell the storyof the transition from farm to factory,chronicle immigrant and labor history andtrace industrial technology. The park includesmills, worker housing, 5.6 miles of canals, and19th-century commercial buildings.

4. Lower East Side Tenement NationalHistoric Site, New York—an Affiliated Area ofthe national park system, the tenementbuilding at 97 Orchard Street is located in theLower East Side of New York City. The siteinterprets the immigrant experience andincludes restored apartments of actualresidents, as well as offering educationalprograms on historical and contemporaryimmigration. The site is owned and managedby the Lower East Side Tenement Museum,Inc.

Lowell’s mile of mills as seen from across the MerrimackRiver, Lowell, MA. NPS photo.

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5. Angel Island State Park, California—ANHL, between 1910 and 1940, Angel Islandserved as a U.S. immigration station inCalifornia. Approximately 1 million personswere processed through the facility. AngelIsland represents the impact of the ChineseExclusion Act which restricted the immigrationof Chinese laborers and prohibited U.S.citizenship to Chinese immigrants already inthis country. Acting as a detention center,approximately 250,000 Chinese and 150,000Japanese immigrants were detained at the site.

6. Ybor City Museum State Park, Florida—ANHL, Ybor City Museum State Park providesvisitors a glimpse into the lives of theimmigrants who settled, lived in, and built thethriving community of Ybor City in TampaFlorida. The museum park traces the richcultural history of Ybor City and the cigarmaking industry. Spaniards, Italians, Germans,Jews, Cubans, and Afro-Cubans called YborCity home, establishing their own newspapers,restaurants, social clubs, mutual aid societiesand hospitals. The site is a unit of the State ofFlorida Park System.

Congressionally designated National HeritageAreas provide additional protection andinterpretation of resources related toimmigration. A few examples include:

1. Essex National Heritage Area,Massachusetts—Essex comprisesapproximately 500 square miles in easternMassachusetts. Three theme trails (EarlySettlement, Maritime, and Industrial) permitvisitors to explore the region’s resources frommany historical perspectives. A number of siteswithin the heritage area interpret immigrationin association with the Industrial Theme Trail.

2. John H. Chafee Blackstone River ValleyNational Heritage Corridor, Massachusettsand Rhode Island—Blackstone interprets therich American industrial revolution heritage ofthe Blackstone River Valley in Massachusettsand Rhode Island. Immigration resources,themes and stories are central to itsinterpretation of industry and workers.

3. Keweenaw National Historical Park,Michigan—The park is made up of nationallysignificant sites affiliated with historical coppermining on Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula.In addition to the park’s Calumet and Quincyunits, the National Park Service also workswith partners known as “Keweenaw HeritageSites,” which assist in preserving and telling thestory of the hard-rock copper mining industryin the Keweenaw region. Keweenaw NationalHistorical Park, along with the heritage sites,interpret immigrant life and contributions thatrelate the story of copper on the KeweenawPeninsula.

4. Lackawanna Valley National Heritage Area,Pennsylvania—Coal mining, railroading andrailroad building, steel, food processing, large-scale fabrication, printing, textiles, trolleys, andmass education were all industries in theLackawanna Valley in eastern Pennsylvania.The region became a magnet for newimmigrants between 1860 and 1910.Resources in the heritage area interpretimmigrant worker contributions to the region’scoal mining and industrial past.

5. Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area,Pennsylvania—Rivers of Steel in westernPennsylvania is devoted to telling the story ofthe legacy of “Big Steel” and the manyimmigrants who flocked to the region in the19th and 20th centuries to labor in the mills.

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A number of museums also interpret theimmigrant experience in the United States.The Dreams of Freedom Immigration Museumin Boston (MA) provides living history andinterpretation of that City’s immigrant stories.At the Johnstown (PA) Heritage DiscoveryCenter’s America: Through Immigrant Eyes,visitors take an active assigned role andexperience the daily life of their immigrantcharacter as they tour exhibits.

Some museums are dedicated to specificimmigrant groups such as the DanishImmigrant Museum in Elk Horn, Iowa and theScandinavian Heritage Museum in Seattle,Washington. The Museum of Work andCulture in Woonsocket, Rhode Island—part ofthe Blackstone River Valley NHA—interpretsthe compelling stories of French Canadianimmigrants seeking economic improvement inthe mill towns along the Blackstone River.

Conclusion

While the Great Falls Historic District hasmany resources and rich stories relating to thetheme of immigration in the U.S., it does notappear to have particularly unique resources orstories when compared to those alreadyrepresented in the national park system, orprotected and interpreted by other public andprivate entities.

Expanding Science andTechnology

This theme focuses on science, which ismodern civilization’s way of organizing andconceptualizing knowledge about the worldand the universe beyond. Technology is theapplication of human ingenuity tomodification of the environment in bothmodern and traditional cultures, and includestopics such as experimentation and invention,and technological applications. The areas ofsignificance for this study are engineering andtechnology.

Paterson’s Great Falls Historic District was thescene of significant technological advances inindustrial processes and engineeringadvancements in the use of water power forindustry and, later, electrical generation. Thefirst signature project of the SUM was itsambitious endeavor to provide for the designand construction of a system for industrialwater power, drawing water from the PassaicRiver and diverting it by gravity throughraceways to manufacturing sites – a taskinitially assigned to Pierre Charles L’Enfant.The establishment of the system, as an earlywater power system, is a primary reason for theNHL designation of the Historic District.

Technological innovations were evident inmany of Paterson’s industrial enterprises fromthe invention and production of Colt’s firstrevolver and the fitting of an engine toHolland’s first submarine, to innovations bylocomotive manufacturers, and those affectingthe Paterson textile silk trade. Like most citiesin the Northeast and those in New Jersey,Paterson had its own manufacturing specialtiesin the industrial milieu of the 19th and 20th

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centuries. In the emerging competitive climateof manufacturing, advancements in technologywere often among the keys to success. Thisanalysis has purposely focused on resourcescomparable to those represented in the GreatFalls Historic District and is not meant to bean exhaustive analysis of all sites representingthe theme.

Resources interpreting the themes ofengineering and technology are wellrepresented in the national park system orprotected by other public and private entities.Sites interpret the use of waterpower from itssimplest forms to large hydroelectric systems.Examples of sites for waterpower include:

1. Lowell National Historical Park,Massachusetts—Lowell was dependent onwaterpower for its continuing industrialsuccess. Its system of canals provided power tomills and evolved from 1821 to the 1850sconfiguration that is still visible today. LowellNHP contains significant waterpower resourcesand interprets waterpower and its industrialapplications in its programs and exhibits. Inthe first turbines designed by Uriah Boydenand adapted by James B. Francis to powerLowell’s mills, the water entered the wheel atits center and was directed outward bystationary vanes to turn another set of movingvanes. By 1858, 56 Boyden turbines, rated at35 to 650 horsepower, helped drive Lowell’smills. In both the waterwheel and turbine, thepower was transferred by gears to the mill’smain power shaft or drive pulley.

2. Saugus Ironworks National Historic Site,Massachusetts—Saugus is the site of the firstintegrated ironworks in North America, 1646-1668. The park interprets the critical role ofiron making to seventeenth-century settlement

and its legacy in shaping the early history ofthe nation. The site features an open-airmuseum with working waterwheels todemonstrate early waterpower techniques.

3. John H. Chafee Blackstone River ValleyNational Heritage Corridor, Massachusettsand Rhode Island—Blackstone interpretswaterpower as part of its story of the industrialrevolution in America. The Blackstone Riverprovided the waterpower for the birth ofindustry in America with its 438-foot dropover a 46-mile length. Structures related towaterpower and early transportation - dams,ponds, mills, canals, locks and the related millvillages, towns and cities are all integral parts ofthe Blackstone Valley riverscape. TheBlackstone was harnessed for waterpower tofuel textile mills beginning in 1790 in a cottonmill (Slater’s Mill) in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.

4. Gilbert Stuart Birthplace, Rhode Island—ANHL, this site interprets the 18th centurywaterpower used for the grist and snuff millsthat were typical of small systems. Establishedby Stuart’s father, the snuff mill was the firstpowered by water in the colonies.

5. Tennessee Valley Authority, Tennessee—The TVA is a major electrical power generatorand interprets hydroelectric power in its visitorcenters located throughout the TennesseeValley.

6. Hoover Dam, Nevada and Arizona—ANHL, administered by the Department of theInterior’s Bureau of Reclamation. The Dam isa National Historic Landmark and has beenrated by the American Society of CivilEngineers as one of America’s Seven ModernCivil Engineering Wonders. The Bureau

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interprets hydroelectric power at its TourCenter and conducts tours of the facility.

7. Augusta Canal National Heritage Area,Georgia—Built in 1845 as a source of power,water and transportation, the Augusta Canalwas one of the few successful industrial canalsin the American South. Spearheaded by nativeAugustan Henry H. Cumming, who perceivedthat Augusta could one day become “theLowell of the South,” the Augusta Canal beganto fulfill Cumming’s vision in short order. By1847 the first factories - a saw and grist milland the Augusta Factory were built, the first ofmany that would eventually line the Canal.

8. Folsom Powerhouse, California—A NHL,this hydroelectric generating plant sent high-voltage alternating current over long-distancelines for the first time in 1895, a majoradvance in the technology of electric powertransmission and generation.

9. Niagara Power Project Power Vista, NewYork—Operated by the New York PowerAuthority, the facility interprets hydroelectricpower associated with Niagara Falls and thehistorical role of hydroelectricity in the NiagaraFrontier.

10. Adams Power Plant Transformer House,New York—A NHL, until well into the 20thcentury, this electric-power generating facilityretained its position as the largest hydroelectricpower plant in the world. The transformerhouse, built in 1895 from designs by McKim,Mead and White, is the only survivingstructure of the plant, which has been hailed as“the birthplace of the modern hydroelectricpower station.” When it became operational,long-distance commercial electricaltransmission became a reality. The plant does

not currently enjoy the same level of protectionas other resources, but is within the areaproposed as the Niagara Falls NationalHeritage Area.

Example sites for technology and engineeringinclude:

1. Edison National Historical Site, NewJersey—For more than forty years, thelaboratory created by Thomas Alva Edison inWest Orange, New Jersey, had enormousimpact on the lives of millions of peopleworldwide. Out of the West Orangelaboratories came the motion picture camera,vastly improved phonographs, soundrecordings, silent and sound movies and thenickel-iron alkaline electric storage battery.Edison National Historic Site provides aunique opportunity to interpret and experienceimportant aspects of America’s industrial, socialand economic past, and to learn from thelegacy of the world’s best known inventor.

2. Golden Spike National Historic Site,Utah—The site commemorates thecompletion of the world’s first transcontinentalrailroad which was celebrated where theCentral Pacific and Union Pacific Railroadsmet on May 10, 1869. Its paramount purposeis to illustrate the social, economic, andpolitical impacts of the transcontinentalrailroad on the growth and westwarddevelopment of the United States. One of thetwo locomotives present when the last spikewas driven, was Rogers Locomotive Works’locomotive # 119, manufactured in Paterson,NJ.

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3. Lowell National Historical Park,Massachusetts—As part of the history told atLowell are the technological advancements oftextile and other manufactures that wereinstrumental in the success of the earlyAmerican Industrial Revolution.

4. Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site,Massachusetts—Saugus is the site of the firstintegrated ironworks in North America, 1646-1668. Resources interpreted at the sitedemonstrate seventeenth-century engineeringand design methods, and iron-makingtechnology and operations.

5. Springfield Armory National Historic Site,Massachusetts—Begun as a major arsenalunder the authority of General GeorgeWashington early in the Revolutionary War,the first national armory began manufacturingmuskets in 1794. Within decades, SpringfieldArmory had perfected pioneeringmanufacturing methods that were critical toAmerican industrialization. The site interpretsthe technological evolution of armsmanufacturing during it long history ofproduction.

6. Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site,Pennsylvania—The site is one of the finestexamples of a rural American 19th century ironplantation. It interprets iron-making

technology, business operations and village lifeof the early iron-making period.

7. Harpers Ferry National Historical Park,West Virginia—In 1819, John H. Hall, a NewEngland gunmaker, signed a contract with theWar Department to produce 1,000breechloading rifles – a weapon he haddesigned and patented in 1811. Under theterms of the contract, Hall came to HarpersFerry where he occupied an old Armorysawmill along the Shenandoah River. The sitesoon became known as Hall’s Rifle Works, andthe small island on which it stood was calledLower Hall Island. Hall spent several yearstooling new workshops and perfectingprecision machinery for producing rifles withinterchangeable parts – a boldly ambitioustechnological goal for an industry which wastraditionally based on the manual labor ofskilled craftsmen.

8. Steamtown National Historic Site,Pennsylvania—Steamtown was established tofurther public understanding and appreciationof the role steam railroading played in thedevelopment of the United States. The siteprovides displays and interpretation oflocomotive construction and technology.

9. Southern Museum of Civil War andLocomotive History, Georgia—Located inKennesaw, and a member of the SmithsonianInstitution Affiliations Program, the museumcontains a reproduction of the Glover MachineWorks and features the only restored belt-driven locomotive assembly line in the country,original machining equipment, and tworestored Glover locomotives in various stages ofassembly. An interactive presentation detailingthe train building process, from metallurgy andpatterns to casting and construction helps

Springfield Armory National Historic Site. NPS photo.

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visitors experience life as a factory worker,while detailed company records provide insightinto the management of the Glover MachineWorks. The site is also the location of one theRogers’ Locomotive Works most famouslocomotives, “The General,” which was builtin Paterson in 1855.

11. John H. Chafee Blackstone River ValleyNational Heritage Corridor, Massachusettsand Rhode Island—As part of the history andinterpretation offered through resources of theheritage area, many technological innovationsare examined that were associated with theAmerican Industrial Revolution including thefirst successful cotton mill.

12. U.S. Submarine Force Museum,Connecticut—The Submarine Force Museum,located on the Thames River in Groton,maintains the world’s finest collection ofsubmarine artifacts. It is the only submarinemuseum operated by the United States Navy,and as, such is the primary repository forartifacts, documents and photographs relatingto U.S. Submarine Force history. The museumtraces the technology and development ofsubmarines from David Bushnell’s Turtle, usedin the Revolutionary War, to the modern LosAngeles, Ohio, Seawolf and Virginia classsubmarines.

13. Erie Canalway National HeritageCorridor, New York—The Erie CanalwayNHC preserves associated resources andinterprets the construction and operation ofone of the nation’s foremost engineering

projects. In the early 19th century, thiswaterway opened the “Old Northwest” tosettlement and gave Western agriculture accessto Eastern markets. A remarkable engineeringfeat for the period, it helped to make New YorkCity one of the most important trade centersin the world.

Conclusion

While the Great Falls Historic District hasmany resources relating to the thematicconcept of Expanding Science and Technology,it does not appear to have particularly uniqueresources when compared to those alreadyrepresented in the national park system orprotected and interpreted by other public andprivate entities.

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Alexander Hamiltonand Developing theAmerican Economy

This theme reflects the ways Americans haveworked, including slavery, servitude, and non-wage, as well as paid labor. It also reflects theways they have materially sustained themselvesby the processes of extraction, agriculture,production, distribution, and consumption ofgoods and services. Topics that help define thistheme include extraction and production,distribution and consumption, workers andwork culture, labor organizations and protests,exchange and trade, and economic theory.These themes are commonly applicable to

historic industrial districts such as the GreatFalls Historic District. The areas ofsignificance are industry and labor.

Because Paterson proudly traces its history as amanufacturing center to Alexander Hamiltonand the creation of the S.U.M., it is importantfor this Special Resource Study to address thequestion of Alexander Hamilton’s overallcontributions to the nation, and the role thatthe experiment he nurtured at the Great Fallsplayed in the larger scheme of his life and thosemany contributions.

While there is no question that Hamiltonviewed the manufacturing promise of Paterson,the Great Falls and the S.U.M., as a vehicle toimplement his strong beliefs in an industrially-based United States, the fact of the matter isthat the Paterson venture, as envisioned, failedearly-on due to the major weaknesses of itsgovernor/director participants. The S.U.M.did not become the manufacturing colossusHamilton envisioned; rather, it becameprimarily a real estate venture, ultimatelyproviding land and water power formanufacturing enterprises below the falls.

Hamilton’s vision of an industrial society wasachieved in the United States, and in Paterson,but after the early decline of the S.U.M., morequickly and wide-spread in places like Lowelland Waltham, Massachusetts and other NewEngland cities that were built on the firmstepping stones of less grandly conceivedendeavors.

Hamilton’s life is one that continues to impactour nation. While known for his writings andinterest in manufactures, particularly his reportto Congress on that subject which followedsoon after the establishment of the S.U.M.,

Alexander Hamilton by John Trumbull. Library ofCongress, Prints and Photographs Division, DetroitPublishing Company Collection.

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Hamilton provided much more that shapedthe nation and our society. Indeed, his Reporton Manufactures was not well received byCongress at the time, nor acted upon, despiteits ultimate realization.

Hamilton was a close and trusted associate ofGeneral George Washington, serving on hisstaff for most of the Revolution. He fought atWhite Plains, Trenton, Princeton, Monmouthand Yorktown. He was instrumental in theestablishment of and served as delegate to theConstitutional Convention and was a principleauthor of the Federalist Papers, a still enduringsource on the meaning of the United StatesConstitution. Hamilton served as the firstSecretary of the Treasury and became one ofAmerica’s great early statesmen. He initiatedthe First Bank of the United States, andestablished the Revenue Cutter Service, theforerunner of the U.S. Coast Guard.

Hamilton is regarded as “The Father” of theU.S. Coast Guard and was instrumental in theestablishment of the U.S. Navy. His Report onPublic Credit was a major milestone inAmerican financial history. Hamiltonestablished the foundations for Americancapitalism and commodity and stockexchanges. He was responsible for theestablishment of the first political party. Hestood as a national founder who believed instrong central government, national defense,assistance to business and industry, nationaldebt financing and a strong national bankingsystem. Many of the issues he addressed are asrelevant to Americans today, as they wereduring his time of life; only the scale, perhaps,is different.

While Hamilton’s association with thefounding of Paterson is important to the City

and its history and is part of the reason for thedistrict’s designation as a NHL, there are noresources at Great Falls save the falls and theS.U.M. constructed water raceways that reflectthe period of his association. Patersonrepresented his vision of industrial progress in1791, but the vision in this one place wasquickly dashed by the financial adventures ofWilliam Duer and others. Hamilton’s visionwas ultimately achieved in Paterson, butthrough a lengthy application ofentrepreneurial skills of many individualmanufacturers, not the single manufacturingentity he originally conceived. Thatphenomenon occurred in other locations allover the Northeast and the nation at the sametime.

Authors Stanley Elkins and Erik McKitrick intheir book chronicling the Federal Periodprovide a comparative perspective of theS.U.M. They write:

When the directors in 1796 voted to shut downaltogether to avoid ‘evident loss,’ they were puttinga period to some four years of amateurness, crosspurposes, and divided attention. Not until the1820s and ‘30s with the activities of the BostonAssociates would something like Hamiltonenvisioned come into being. The foundation ofLowell, Chicopee, and Holyoke during thatperiod would be the fruit of careful planning andtwo decades of prior technological experience insmall mills all over New England. (Elkins andMcKitrick, p. 280)

Alexander Hamilton, the person, is not as wellrepresented in the national park system as hissignificant contributions to American historydeserve, but it is largely through a failure of theService to fully interpret his recognizedachievements, not a lack of places associated

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with those contributions. One unit, HamiltonGrange, is fully dedicated to Hamilton, whileanother has strong associations with his majoraccomplishments. Increased interpretation ofHamilton’s life and legacy by the NPS wouldimprove public knowledge and appreciation ofthis important American figure. The followingare units of the national park system associatedwith Alexander Hamilton:

1. Hamilton Grange National Memorial, NewYork—The memorial preserves the New YorkCity home of Alexander and ElizabethHamilton, completed in 1802. Named “TheGrange” after the Hamilton family’s ancestralhome in Scotland, it served as his home foronly two years before his death in 1804. Thehome was designed by architect John McCombJr.

2. Independence National Historical Park,Pennsylvania—Independence NHP inPhiladelphia is the site of Independence Hallwhere both the Declaration of Independenceand the U.S. Constitution were created. Adedicated nationalist from the start, it wasHamilton who orchestrated the groundswellfor a Constitutional Convention. Hamiltonparticipated as a member of the Congress asthe Constitution was drafted and participatedin congressional deliberations on the matter.His role in authoring many of the Federalist

Papers was instrumental in gaining itsratification.

The First Bank of the United States is alsolocated at Independence National HistoricalPark. The establishment of the bank provokedthe first great debate over strict, as opposed toan expansive interpretation of theConstitution. In adopting Hamilton’s proposaland chartering the bank, both the Congressand the President took the necessary first stepstoward implementing a sound fiscal policy thatwould eventually ensure the survival of the newfederal government and the continued growthand prosperity of the United States.

3. Federal Hall National Memorial, NewYork—While constructed after the period ofWashington’s inauguration in New York City atthat location and Hamilton’s appointment asSecretary of the Treasury, the unit indirectly isassociated. It overlooks the New York StockExchange, the icon of U.S. financial power thatHamilton helped to create.

Liberty Bell, Independence National Historical Park. NPSphoto.

First Bank of the United States, Philadelphia. NPS photo.

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Other resources which relate to Hamiltoninclude:

1. The National Constitution Center,Pennsylvania—Located in Philadelphia, theCenter conducts programs and exhibitsdedicated to increasing public understandingof, and appreciation for, the Constitution, itshistory, and its contemporary relevance.Hamilton is depicted in its exhibit onFounding Fathers.

2. Schuyler Mansion State Historic Site, NewYork—A NHL, an elegant Georgian stylemansion, was the home of Phillip Schuyler,Hamilton’s father-in-law. It was the site ofHamilton’s marriage to Elizabeth Schuyler in1780. The site is administered by the NewYork State Office of Parks, Recreation andHistoric Preservation.

3. Hamilton Hall, Massachusetts—A NHLlocated in Salem, the Hall was establishedwhen political differences between Federalistsand Republicans split the Salem Assemblies in1805. The Federalists erected this three-storybrick building to house their social activities.It is a distinguished example of a Federalist-Adamesque public building.

4. Alexander Hamilton’s Memorial and Tomb,New York—Located at Trinity Church Yard inNew York City, the site is the burial plot ofAlexander Hamilton.

Sites reflecting the theme of Developing theAmerican Economy in the area of industrywhich relate to similar resources of Patersoninclude:

1. John H. Chafee Blackstone River ValleyNational Heritage Corridor, Massachusettsand Rhode Island—The Blackstone RiverValley of Massachusetts and Rhode Island ispopularly described as the “Birthplace of theAmerican Industrial Revolution,” the placewhere America made the transformation fromfarm to factory. America’s first successfultextile mill, Slaters Mill, could have been builtalong practically any river on the easternseaboard, but in 1790 the forces of capital,ingenuity, mechanical know-how and skilledlabor came together at Pawtucket, RhodeIsland where the Blackstone River provided thepower that kicked off America’s drive toindustrialization. The mills and factories of theBlackstone Valley served as the cornerstone ofAmerica’s industrial growth.

2. Lowell National Historical Park,Massachusetts—Lowell interprets the rise ofindustry during the American IndustrialRevolution. While it was a center for textilemanufacturing, Lowell grew into the locationfor many other industrial pursuits. Foremostwere textile machinery firms established tomeet the demands of textile manufacturersthroughout New England. The LowellMachine Shop and the Kitson MachineCompany were the largest of these companies,but there were many others.

The Lowell Machine Shop did not limit itselfto textile machinery, producing steamlocomotives for New England’s expanding railnetwork. Other textile-related firmsmanufactured and distributed a broad array ofmill fixtures, tools, and textile machine parts.New entrepreneurs built companiesunconnected with textiles. Firms established to

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supply an expanding national market forpatent medicines grew into a major Lowellindustry. The Hood and Ayer companies andFather John’s Medicine were prominent in thisfield, pioneering in the skillful use of mass-market advertising.

The city’s economic base grew more and morediversified: shoe factories, boilerworks,scalemakers, and a brewery. During WorldWar I, munitions manufacturers prospered,and the United States Cartridge Company,founded shortly after the Civil War by wellknown politician and General Benjamin Butlerwas one of the leading employers in the city.

3. Springfield Armory National Historic Site,Massachusetts—The Armory producedfirearms between 1777 and 1968. It wasresponsible for many innovations in armsdesign and production including the use ofinterchangeable parts and precisionmanufacturing. In 1891 it became the Army’smain center for developing and testing smallarms.

4. Harpers Ferry National Historic Site, WestVirginia—The United States Armory andArsenal, established here in 1799, transformedHarpers Ferry from a remote village into anindustrial center. Between 1801 and theoutbreak of the Civil War in 1861, the Armoryproduced more than 600,000 muskets, rifles,and pistols, and employed, at times, over 400workers. Inventor John H. Hall pioneeredinterchangeable firearms manufacture at hisRifle Works between 1820-1840, and helpedlead the change from craft-based production tomanufacture by machine.

Hall, a native of Portland, Maine, devoted hisuncompromising attention to the “uniformity

principle” of interchangeable manufacture atthe Harpers Ferry Armory. The “uniformityprinciple,” referred to as “the American systemof manufactures” by the British, made use ofspecial-purpose machines to produce parts soaccurately sized that they were interchangeable.Hall pioneered mechanized arms productionand the manufacture of interchangeablefirearm components, laying a solid foundationfor America’s emerging factory system.

5. Boston National Historical Park,Massachusetts—The park includes portions ofthe Charlestown Navy Yard. Established in1800, the Yard served as a ship building andrepair center until 1974. The men and womenof its workforce built more than 200 warshipsand maintained and repaired thousands. Fromits inception the yard was in the forefront ofshipyard technology, from building the Navy’sonly ropewalk, supplying the Navy with mostof its rope supplies, to making itself a center ofmissile and electronics conversions.

Steamtown National Historic Site, Gouldsboro, PA.Canadian National 3254 pulls a passenger train pastSnag Pond in Gouldsboro, PA. Steamtown operatesmany excursions into the Pocono Mountains along thisroute. NPS photo, Ken Ganz.

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6. Steamtown National Historic Site,Pennsylvania—Steamtown was established tofurther public understanding and appreciationof the role steam railroading played in thedevelopment of the United States. The siteprovides extensive displays and interpretationof locomotive construction and technology.

7. National Heritage Areas—BesidesBlackstone, many of the congressionallydesignated heritage areas focus on industrialheritage throughout the United States. Alisting of national heritage areas protecting andinterpreting historic industrial resourcesinclude: Augusta Canal NHA, AutomobileNHA, Essex NHA, Hudson River ValleyNHA, Lackawanna Valley NHA, NationalAviation NHA, National Coal Heritage, OilRegion NHA, Rivers of Steel NHA, SchuylkillRiver NHA, Southwestern PennsylvaniaIndustrial Heritage, and Wheeling NHA.

8. Cheney Brothers Historic District,Connecticut—A NHL, this 175-acre millingcommunity in South Manchester, Connecticutcommemorates and interprets the Cheneyfamily’s silk manufacturing enterprises. Withover 200 mill buildings, worker houses,churches, schools, and the Cheney familymansion, this is an excellently preservedexample of a 19th to early 20th centurypaternalistic mill town. Established originallyin 1838 as the Mount Nebo Silk Company,Cheney Brothers became the single largest andmost profitable silk producer in the nation bythe late 1880s.

9. Armsmear and Coltsville, Connecticut—Armsmear, a NHL, was the home of armsmanufacturers Samuel and Elizabeth Colt inHartford, Connecticut. Coltsville, the Coltmanufacturing complex in Hartford

Connecticut is presently the subject of a NHLnomination pending before the National ParkSystem Advisory Board. Coltsville is thelocation of Samuel Colt’s arms factory whichwas managed by his wife after Colt died. Coltmoved to Hartford after his Paterson factoryfailed. The buildings associated with Coltsvillemaintain high degrees of integrity. The site isthe subject of a Special Resource Studycurrently being conducted by the NPS todetermine if it meets criteria for designation asa unit of the national park system.

10. Southern Museum of Civil War andLocomotive History, Georgia—The museumcontains a reproduction of the Glover MachineWorks, featuring the only restored belt-drivenlocomotive assembly line in the country,original machining equipment, and tworestored Glover locomotives in various stages ofassembly. An interactive presentation detailingthe train building process, from metallurgy andpatterns to casting and construction. The siteis the location of one the Rogers’ LocomotiveWorks most famous locomotives, “TheGeneral,” which was built in Paterson in 1855.The General was popularized in the Civil Warepisode known as “The Great Chase.”

11. Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania—Oneof the leading sites devoted to railroading, themuseum also includes papers, manuals,records, blueprints, and diagrams of theBaldwin Locomotive Works of Philadelphiafrom the Matthew Gray Collection, theCharles Scott Collection and the Frank MooreCollection. Baldwin was the nation’s largestlocomotive manufacturer.

12. Pullman Historic District, Illinios—ANHL, constructed between 1880 and1884 forengineer and industrialist George M. Pullman

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(1831-1897). Pullman was a completelyplanned model industrial town. It represents adramatic and pioneering departure from theunhealthy, over-crowded makeshift andunsanitary living conditions found in working-class districts in other19th century industrialcities and town. In 1894, it was the focus of abloody and violent strike which spread nation-wide over the railroad networks, promptingPresident Grover Cleveland to intervene withFederal troops and resulted in the first use ofthe Sherman Anti-Trust Act to smash theunions.

13. Boston Manufacturing Company,Massachusetts—A NHL in Waltham, thismanufacturing complex represents the firsttruly modern factory in the U.S. Employinginnovative power looms, it signaled the birth ofAmerican industrialization and ended U.S.dependency on British technology. It was thetechnological basis for a fundamentalreorganization of the factory system.

14. Harrisville Historic District, NewHampshire—This NHL provides an unrivaledglimpse into the life of an early 19th centuryNew England mill town. A center for themanufacture of woolen goods since 1799, thetown has maintained mills, stores, boardinghouses, dwellings, and churches that reflect themyriad levels of society.

15. Harmony Mills, New York—A NHL,located in Cohoes the Harmony MillsCompany was one of the largest Americanproducers of cotton fabric for printed calicoesand fine cotton muslins from the late 1860sthrough the 1880s. Harmony Mill No. 3 wasthe largest individual cotton factory in theworld when it was completed in 1872, and wasacknowledged as representing the state of the

art at that time. The Harmony Mills districthas been described as “one of the finestexamples of a large-scale textile mill complexoutside of New England.”

16. Clark Thread Company Historic District,New Jersey—A NHL, with over 35 buildingson approximately 13 acres of land, this districtincorporates most of the extant factorybuildings of the Clark Thread Company inEast Newark, New Jersey, the world’s foremostmaker of cotton thread in the late 19th to early20th century. This NHL does not currentlyenjoy the same level of protection as otherresources cited above.

Sites reflecting the theme of Developing theAmerican Economy in the area of labor whichrelate to similar resources and events ofPaterson include:

1. Botto House, New Jersey—a NHL, locatedin Haledon, New Jersey, the site was the homeof Maria and Pietro Botto, immigrant silkworkers from northern Italy. The house playeda major role in the reform of the Americanworkplace. During the Paterson Silk Strike of1913, it served as a rallying point for thousandsof striking workers and their families whoadvocated the eight-hour day and an end tochild labor. The site is operated by theAmerican Labor Museum and interpretshistorical labor unrest in Paterson.

2. Kate Mullany National Historic Site, NewYork—An Affiliated Area of the national parksystem, the site was the home of Kate Mullany,who organized and led Troy’s all-female CollarLaundry Union in the 1860s, and wasAmerica’s most prominent female labor leader.Male unionists recognized her group as theonly bona fide female union in the country,

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and applauded her success in bargaining withlaundry owners for her objectives. Mullanyand her colleagues also supported otherworking unions and labor activity.

3. Bost Building, Pennsylvania—A NHL,located in Homestead, Pennsylvania, the site ispart of the Rivers of Steel National HeritageArea. Between June 29 and November 21,1892, much of the nation followed the eventsof a labor strike outside Pittsburgh,Pennsylvania, that pitted the Carnegie SteelCompany against one of the strongest laborunions at the time. During the strike at theHomestead Steel Works, know as “TheHomestead Lockout,” the Bost Building servedas the local headquarters for the AmalgamatedAssociation of Iron and Steel Workers and asthe base for American and British newspapercorrespondents reporting the events. Theconfrontation turned bloody when Pinkertonguards approached Homestead on barges in afailed attempt to reclaim the Steel Works fromthe striking workers and their supporters. Ittook the Pennsylvania Militia to restore order.The Bost Building is the best survivingstructure associated with this important strike.The building serves as the primary visitorcenter for the heritage area.

4. Matewan Historic District, WestVirginia—A NHL, the District is exceptionallysignificant in the history of labor organizationin America. It was the scene of the “MatewanBattle” of May 19, 1920 where coal companyofficials tried to remove union workers fromcompany housing. The conflict wasprecipitated by striking coal miners whodemanded the company recognize thelegitimacy of the United Mine Workers ofAmerica. The coal companies retaliated bybringing in armed guards to evict miners from

local mines and their families from companyhousing. The ensuing conflict left ten peopledead. The episode was a pivotal event in theeventual end of coal company control in WestVirginia. The site is part of the National CoalHeritage Area.

5. Socialist Labor Party Hall, Vermont—aNHL, located in Barre, the Hall is significantfor its association with socialist and anarchistpolitics, labor organizations, and Italianimmigrant heritage in the early 20th century.The Hall played a central role in the history ofItalian anarchism and militant unionism in theUnited States, and was the leading place wheredebates took place among anarchists, socialists,and union leaders over the future direction ofthe labor movement in America. The SocialistLabor Party Hall, as the primary site for thesediscussions, embodies the radical heritage andthe strength of the union movement duringthe early 20th century. The site is managed bythe Barre Historical Society.

6. Pullman Historic District, Illinios—aNHL, the district is associated with the majorrailway strike known as, “Debs Rebellion” afterone of its leaders, Eugene Debs. In 1894, itwas the focus of the bloody and violent strikewhich spread nation-wide over the railroadnetworks, prompting President GroverCleveland to intervene with Federal troops andresulted in the use for the first time of theSherman Anti-Trust Act to smash the unions.

7. Lowell National Historical Park,Massachusetts—The park interprets laborconditions of mill workers and labor unrestthat led to the famous general strike inLawrence, led by the Industrial Workers of theWorld, and successive protests in Lowell, FallRiver, and New Bedford. United mill workers

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prevailed and enjoyed raises rather than theinitial pay cuts imposed by management. Theunprecedented series of strikes led to importantgains for New England’s immigrant textileworkers.

8. Union Square, New York—A NHL, locatedin lower mid-town Manhattan, Union Squareis nationally significant for the role it hasplayed in American labor history. While thepark has been the focal point for well over acentury for parades, mass gatherings, soap-boxorations and demonstrations, its particularmoment in history occurred on September 5,1882, when the first Labor Day Parade tookplace. This marked the beginning of organizedlabor’s twelve-year effort to secure passage ofnational legislation that would set aside oneday each year to recognize the contributionsand achievements of American laborers.

Conclusion

While the Great Falls Historic District hasmany resources relating to the thematicconcept of Developing the AmericanEconomy, it does not appear to haveparticularly unique resources unlike thosealready represented in the national park systemor protected and interpreted by other publicand private entities.

Determination ofSuitability

Based on the analysis of many comparableresource types and interpretation alreadyrepresented in units of the national park systemor protected and interpreted by others, thisstudy concludes that the resources of the GreatFalls Historic District are not suitable forinclusion in the national park system.

This finding does not in any way diminish themajor national significance of the Great FallsHistoric District in the history of the UnitedStates. Paterson’s story is one of greatimportance to public understanding of thebuilding of the nation. Like Pawtucket,Lowell, Cohoes and other early industrialplaces, it is a part of the complex Americanexperience that commemorates and celebrateswater-powered industry, early industrialists,immigrant laborers, political figures, and ourevolving political and economic processes. Itsresources are exceptionally worthy ofprotection and interpretation. Many of thestories of Paterson’s contributions to ournational heritage can be understood simply byvisiting the Paterson Museum which is locatedin the Great Falls Historic District in abuilding of the former Rogers LocomotiveWorks. Most of Paterson’s industrial history isrepresented here including Hamilton and theS.U.M., Colt, the locomotive industry, textilemanufacturing, the City’s silk production,Holland’s first two submarines, and Paterson’sother valuable American treasures. Collectionspertaining to Hamilton and the S.U.M. arehoused at the Passaic County Historical societyin Lambert Castle.

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Paterson is an example of the vision ofAlexander Hamilton, American enterprise, andthe work of many immigrant and citizenworkers who made the nation prosper.

Feasibility Analysis

Since a finding of suitability for potentialdesignation as a unit of the national parksystem was not the conclusion of the previousDetermination of Suitability section of thisreport, a feasibility analysis is not a continuingnecessary step in this study. It is offered to

simply complete the analyses of the Great FallsHistoric District under all designation criteria.

NPS Management Policies state that to befeasible for inclusion in the national parksystem, an area must be: 1) of sufficient sizeand appropriate configuration to ensuresustainable resource protection and visitorenjoyment, and 2) capable of efficientadministration at a reasonable cost. A varietyof factors are normally considered in evaluatingfeasibility, including land ownership,acquisition costs, access, threats to the resource,public enjoyment potential, the level of localand general public support, and staffing or

Old advertising painted on exterior wall of the former Rogers Locomotive building on Spruce Street; it reads:“Home of Paterson Silk Machinery Exchange.” NPS photo.

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development requirements. The evaluationincludes consideration of the ability of theNPS to undertake new managementresponsibilities in light of current andprojected constraints on funding andpersonnel. In recent years, this latter factor hasbecome increasingly important in determiningfeasibility.

This study concludes that the District is ofsufficient size and configuration and there areno significant access issues affecting feasibility.Visitors to the Great Falls may not haveinternal access to all buildings and sites, butresources that are accessible provide the basisfor a valuable visitor experience.

The District could benefit from a morepedestrian and visitor friendly traffic andtransportation plan. All roads are open totraffic and visitor safety would be a factor ofconcern in the operation of a park unit. Trafficcongestion, noise and exhaust odor impact thevisitor experience negatively.

While threats to the resource have existed andcontinue to exist, they are not of a scale thatrequires full NPS management for resourceprotection. Since most resources in theDistrict are publicly owned, and it would notbe anticipated that NPS would seek ownershipof any significant amount of District resources,ownership issues do not appear to impactfeasibility. During the study process, therehave been sufficient indications of public andgovernmental support for designation.

The feasibility of protecting the natural andcultural resources of the Great Falls HistoricDistrict would particularly depend on thedemonstrated commitment of the City ofPaterson and the State of New Jersey to

manage the resources they own or administerin the District within the parameters of NPSmanagement policies affecting units of thenational park system, since a boundary for anypotential unit would include both state andcity-owned or administered resources. Stronghistoric resource protection measures would benecessary, consistency in state levelmanagement and decision making assured, andlocal zoning ordinance requirements wouldhave to provide for the continuing integrity ofresources and compatible types and intensitiesof development, uses, treatments,transportation, and signage within anypotential park boundary.

To evaluate financial feasibility, analyses ofcomparable costs of existing units of thenational park system of similar size are oftenused. Costs are normally expressed in ranges.

What are unknown in Paterson are thevariables affecting potential costs associatedwith preserving the district’s resources andthose necessary to provide adequate visitorfacilities. It would not be anticipated that theNPS would acquire resources, other than thosenecessary for operations and visitor services.Even these could be through a sharedarrangement with other entities. Financialfeasibility would in large part depend onpartnerships with other public and privateentities and, as is often the case in budgetrestricted times, financial or other donationsfrom the public and private sector.

No firm offers of assistance have beenforthcoming during the course of the study,although supporters of unit designation haveconsistently indicated that if the Great Fallsbecomes a unit of the national park system,such assistance would be available. Lacking

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somewhat questionable due to its owncontinuing budgetary constraints.

Staffing and operational requirements for theGreat Falls have been estimated at between 5 to10 full time equivalent (FTE) positions with anestimated annual operating cost of $550,000 to$1.2 million annually. Other than for facilitiesowned by the NPS, there would be noanticipated maintenance costs.

The estimates also assume that NPS would notacquire or otherwise own any substantialarchives or collections requiring specialcollection storage facilities. The costs for ageneral management plan and comprehensiveinterpretive plan and media development forthe District are estimated at $800,000 to $1million. The chart below categorizes potentialinitial and annual costs.

any tangible evidence of such commitments,the direct NPS costs for securing andrefurbishing a facility for minimum visitorservices and administration needs are estimatedbetween $3 and $5 million including anyexhibits in a visitor services facility and limitednumbers of wayside exhibits in the district.

For a park to be established that results inmeaningful resource protection at the GreatFalls, this study assumes that financial andtechnical assistance would be required for non-federally owned resources in the district. Thiscost is estimated to be authorized at between$10 million and $15 million in matching sharecapital grants based, in part, on the lower endsimilar investment being made by the State ofNew Jersey in its newly designated state park.The ability of the City of Paterson to meetsignificant matching grant requirements is

Capital Expenditures

Administration/Visitor Facilities: $1.8 to $3.2 million

Exhibits/Waysides: $1.2 to $1.8 million

Historic Preservation Grants: $10 to $15 million

Total Capital Expenditures $13 million to $20 million

General Management and

Interpretive Planning/Media Development

General Management Plan: $600,000 to 700,000

Interpretive Plan and Media Development: $200,000 to $300,000

Total Planning $800,000 to $1 million

Vertical Totals By Category (not

including annual operations)

Development and Park Planning: $2.4 to $3.9 million

Interpretation: $1.4 to $2.1 million

Grants: $10 million to $15 million

Total Development/ Interpretation/ Grants $13.8 million to $21 million

Park Annual Operations

between 5 to 10 FTE over first ten-year period (2007-

2016)

At low range of $550,000 per year including annual inflation adjustment: $6,034,050

At high range of $1.2 million per year including annual inflation adjustment: $13,165,200

Total 10-year Estimate for Operations: $6,034,050 to $13,165,200

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The estimated ranges assume no donor orpartnership participation in any costs. Suchparticipation could reduce estimated capitaland operational costs proportionally,depending on when such contributions arereceived. It must be noted that anycontributions would also be required to followstringent NPS partnership policies,requirements and procedures and may,depending on the level of donations, requirereview by appropriate congressionalappropriations committees.

Determination of Feasibility

Under current NPS budgetary constraints, theestimated costs associated with the Great FallsHistoric District are not feasible whenconsidering the impact that such costs wouldhave on existing units of the national parksystem in the Northeast Region, particularly inthe State of New Jersey, which must competefor the limited and decreasing funding levelscurrently available to parks Service-wide.

Analysis of the Need for NPSManagement

Since findings of suitability and feasibility forpotential designation as a unit of the nationalpark system were not the conclusions of theprevious Determination of Suitability andDetermination of Feasibility sections of thisreport, an analysis of the need for direct NPSmanagement is not a continuing necessary stepin this study. It is offered to simply complete

the analyses of the Great Falls Historic Districtunder all designation criteria.

Determination of the need for NPSmanagement is the final criterion forevaluating resources for potential designationas a new unit in the national park system.There are many examples of successfulmanagement of nationally significant andimportant natural and cultural resources byother public agencies, private organizations,and individuals. The NPS applauds theseaccomplishments and actively encourages theexpansion of conservation activities by federal,state, local, and private entities. Unless directNPS management of a studied area isidentified as the clearly superior alternative, theService will recommend that one or more ofthese other entities assume a lead managementrole, and that the area not become a unit of thenational park system.

In October 2004 the Governor of New Jersey,by executive order, designated portions of theGreat Falls Historic District as one of threenew urban state parks. The New JerseyDepartment of Environmental Protection ispresently concluding a national designcompetition for the first phase development ofthe park. Phases 1 and 2 of the designcompetition include the Great Falls, racewaysand other cultural resources that comprise theextant resources of the original S.U.M.improvements. The State has pledged $10million for improvements at the new park.

The State of New Jersey Department ofEnvironmental Protection, Division of Parksand Forestry, administers a number of stateparks that have cultural resources and valuessignificant to the State and our nation. Amongthem are parks associated with the American

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Revolution at Washington’s Crossing andPrinceton and Monmouth Battlefields, as wellas homes of important figures of therevolutionary period.

The Division also provides an understanding ofNew Jersey’s commercial and industrial past atsites such as Allaire State Park, Batsto Village inWharton State Forest, Long Pond Ironworks atHewitt State Park, the cranberry and blueberryproduction history at Whitesbog Village inBrendan Byrne State Forest and at DoubleTrouble State Park, and the commercialimportance of the Delaware and Raritan Canalat that State Park, among others. Itadministers coastal locations with light housesthat represent New Jersey’s maritimeimportance, and Fort Mott that historicallyguarded approaches to Philadelphia on theDelaware River.

The State also administers Liberty State Parkwhich provides the backdrop to the Statue ofLiberty and Ellis Island and contains theCentral Railroad of New Jersey terminal thatwas the first stop for so many immigrantsleaving Ellis Island on their way to new livesand locations, including Paterson, in their justadopted land. It is fully qualified and able toprotect representative resources of the GreatFalls Historic District and to interpret theimportant contributions that Paterson hasmade to the industrial history of the UnitedStates. This study concludes that there is noneed for direct management of the Great FallsHistoric District by the National Park Service.

Potential for Affiliated Area Status

Affiliated areas of the national park system arecomprised of nationally significant resources

that do not meet other unit designationcriteria, but may require some specialrecognition or technical assistance beyondwhat is available through existing NPSprograms. Such areas must meet the nationalsignificance criterion and be managed inaccordance with the policies and standards thatapply to units of the national park system.

The NPS study team believes that the GreatFalls Historic District may be such a resourceand with the advent of the newly designatedGreat Falls State Park, may be suitable forfurther consideration for its potential as anAffiliated Area of the national park system andcongressional designation as a NationalHistoric Site. The resources included in thestate park are those that are primary to theNHL designation.

Legislation is already in place affecting theGreat Falls Historic District that authorizes theSecretary of the Interior to provide the types ofassistance that are often extended to affiliatedareas. Among other benefits of affiliation, theareas so designated are entitled to display theNPS Arrowhead logo on signage and inappropriate marketing and interpretivematerials and exhibits. Both the New JerseyPinelands National Reserve and the New JerseyCoastal Heritage Trail are affiliated areas of thenational park system. The NPS has providedsubstantial financial and technical assistance tothe Pinelands National Reserve since itscongressional designation in 1978, and to theCoastal Heritage Trail since its designationin1986.

Congress enacted Public Law 104–333 in1996. Section 510 of the Act established theGreat Falls Historic District and authorized$250,000 for grants and cooperative

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agreements for the development of a plan forthe District, $50,000 for the provision oftechnical assistance by the Secretary of theInterior, and up to $3,000,000 for theprovision of other assistance for restoring,repairing, rehabilitating, and improvinghistoric infrastructure within the District. Allfunding requires a 50% local match. Fundinghas not been appropriated by Congress underSection 510, in part, because of concernsregarding the ability of the City to meet the50% matching requirements. With theforthcoming park financial investment by theState of New Jersey, the matching requirementappears to be of less concern.

With the advent of the Great Falls State Parkdesignation in 2004 and the State of NewJersey’s commitment of funds, it may beadvantageous for the State and the NPS toconsider partnering in the protection andinterpretation of the District’s provennationally significant resources. Until suchtime as the plans for the entire Great Falls StatePark are better understood, it would bepremature for this report to recommendAffiliated Area status as a study alternative.But, should the State of New Jersey and theCity of Paterson conclude that its goals andpolicies affecting the Great Falls HistoricDistrict can be accomplished in a manner thatreflects NPS Management Policies for units ofthe national park system, a reconnaissance levelsurvey could be completed at an appropriatetime to make these determinations. Areconnaissance would also assist in determiningthe nature of any amendments to P.L. 104-333that would be needed to accomplish mutuallyagreed upon preservation objectives for theGreat Falls Historic District.

Study Conclusions

This congressionally authorized SpecialResource Study of the Great Falls HistoricDistrict in the City of Paterson, New Jerseyconcludes that resources in the Great FallsHistoric District:

1. meet the criterion for nationalsignificance; and,

2. fail to meet the criteria forsuitability, feasibility, and need forNPS management.

This study further concludes that the GreatFalls Historic District may have the potentialto meet the requirements for designation as anAffiliated Area of the national park system ifthe State of New Jersey and the City ofPaterson, after plans for the Great Falls StatePark are more complete, express an interest insuch a designation and are prepared todemonstrate that the management of theresources in the study area can be accomplishedin accordance with NPS Management Policiesand standards.

ALCO-Cooke locomotive #299, built for the PanamaRailroad, rests in front of the Rogers Mill, home of thePaterson Museum. NPS photo.

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Chapter Four | Consultation & Coordination

Consultation & CoordinationSpecial Resource Study | Great Falls Historic District | Paterson, New Jersey

Consultation & Coordination

Notice of Intent .......................................................... 71

Public Scoping Meeting .............................................. 71

Additional Meetings ................................................... 71

Written Communications ............................................ 72

Other Correspondence ............................................... 73

Consultation ............................................................... 73

Special Resource Study Team and Advisors ................ 75

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Coordination


Consultation andCoordination

This chapter describes the requiredconsultation procedures and public meetingsand comments related to the preparation of theGreat Falls Historic District Special ResourceStudy.

Notice of Intent

A notice of intent to conduct a SpecialResource Study/Environmental ImpactStatement was published in the FederalRegister on September 15, 2003.

Public Scoping Meeting

In accordance with the NationalEnvironmental Policy Act (NEPA), a publicscoping meeting was held on April 28, 2004 atthe Paterson Museum. Approximately 55people attended from Paterson and othercommunities.

The study team introduced the project,reviewed the Special Resource Study andNEPA process, and gave a brief overview of theadministrative history of the Great FallsNational Historic Landmark. The teamdescribed the opportunities for the public toparticipate in the planning process includingsending email comments and identification ofimportant resources, the availability of a studyweb site, and by commenting on the studyreport.

Letters from Congressman Bill Pascrell andSenator Frank Lautenberg supportingdesignation of the Great Falls Historic Districtwere presented and read by congressional staffrepresentatives. The meeting was then openedup to comments and questions from theaudience, and there was discussion of the“vision” that people had for the District. Allbut one of the attendees who made commentsfavored designation of Great Falls HistoricDistrict as a unit of the national park system.

Additional Meetings

Members of the study team met periodicallywith representatives of the City of Paterson,and conducted a pre-study briefing for theCity’s Mayor, the Honorable Jose “Joey” Torres.Periodic meetings were also held with staffrepresentatives of Senator Frank Lautenberg,former Senator Jon Corzine and CongressmanBill Pascrell. A special briefing was conductedfor Congressman Pascrell by the study team inWashington on May 5, 2005. NPS DirectorFran Mainella and other NPS representativesbriefed Senator Lautenberg and CongressmanPascrell on November 3, 2005.

Meetings were also conducted during the studywith representatives of the New JerseyDepartment of Environmental Protection andvarious Federal, state and local agencyrepresentatives to assess current grant makingand planning activities of those agencies as theyaffected the Great Falls Historic District andthe State’s plans for a new park at the GreatFalls. Various ad hoc contacts with members ofthe public occurred during the course of thestudy.

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Written Communications

A number of individuals, organizations andelected officials indicated their interest in thestudy and in the designation of the Great FallsHistoric District as a unit of the national parksystem through correspondence.

Congressional correspondence advocating unitdesignation was received at various timesduring the study from Senator FrankLautenberg, Senator Robert Menendez,Congressman Bill Pascrell, Congressmen JamesSaxton and Congressman RodneyFrelinghuysen. A letter dated July 12, 2006was also received from the entire New Jerseycongressional delegation advocating unitdesignation.

Former New Jersey Commissioner ofEnvironmental Protection, Bradley Campbellwrote on November 9, 2005 expressing theState’s support for unit designation for theGreat Falls Historic District and pointed outthe advantages of a partnership between theState and the NPS.

Governor Jon Corzine reiterated the state’ssupport in his letter of September, 11, 2006.

Paterson Mayor Jose Torres expressed hissupport for unit designation in a letter datedAugust 7, 2006.

A number of distinguished authors, scholars,and individuals familiar with Paterson’s historysent written comments attesting to the nationalsignificance of the Great Falls, its industrialhistory, and its relationships to AlexanderHamilton. In some of these letters, the authorsprovided their views on the suitability andfeasibility of unit designation. All of the letters

are available for inspection at the offices of theNational Park Service in Philadelphia,Pennsylvania. They are summarized below bythe content of information provided.

National significance of the Great Falls andconnection to Alexander Hamilton:

• David P. Billington, Professor ofEngineering, Princeton University;

• Richard Brookhiser, author andAlexander Hamilton biographer;

• Ron Chernow, author andAlexander Hamilton biographer;

• Russell I. Fries, Skillman, NewJersey;

• Robert B. Gordon, Professor ofGeophysics and MechanicalEngineering, Yale University;

• Jerold S. Kayden, Co-chair,Department of Urban Planning andDesign, Harvard University;

• Lewis E. Lehrman, Co-chairman,The Gilder Lehrman Institute ofAmerican History;

• William E. Simon, Jr., Co-chairman,William E. Simon and Sons; and

• Daniel Walkowitz, Professor ofHistory and Professor of Social andCultural Analysis, New YorkUniversity.

Comparability of the Great Falls HistoricDistrict to other units of the national parksystem (comparison with resources protectedby others was not addressed):

• Eric DeLony, former Chief of theHistoric American EngineeringRecord, Department of the Interior;

• Alison K. Hoagland, AssociateProfessor of History and Historic

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Preservation, MichiganTechnological University and Chair,Advisory Commission of theKeweenaw National Historical Park;

• Steven Lubar, Director, JohnNicholas Brown Center, BrownUniversity;

• John R. Mullin, Dean of theGraduate School, university ofMassachusetts, Amhearst;

• Richard Sylla, Henry KaufmanProfessor of the History of FinancialInstitutions and Markets andProfessor of Economics, TheLeonard N. School of Business, NewYork University;

• Robert M. Vogel, former Curator ofMechanical and Civil Engineering,the Smithsonian Institution; and

• Robert E. Wright, Clinical AssociateProfessor, The Leonard N. SternSchool of Business, New YorkUniversity.

Latham and Watkins Submission:

The law firm of Latham and Watkins LLP ofWashington, D.C. submitted a 38-pagedocument on behalf of the New JerseyCommunity Development Corporation to theSecretary of the Interior setting forth itsreasoning for the national significance of theGreat Falls Historic District, and its suitabilityand feasibility for designation as a unit of thenational park system, as well as the need forNPS management of the site. The documentcontains many quotes from the letters citedabove in reinforcing its advocacy fordesignation.

It should be noted that some of the resourcesmentioned in the document are not locatedwithin the study area of this Special ResourceStudy. A copy of the document is available forpublic inspection at the NPS offices inPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania.

Other Correspondence:

The study team received letters from aninterested citizen, Mr. Nick Sunday, whoshared his views on a number of Paterson-related topics.

A letter was received from Mohamed El Filali,Outreach Director of the Islamic Center ofPassaic County, advocating creation of a unit ofthe national park system in Paterson, asespecially important to the IslamicCommunity.

Consultation

Required Consultation with Public AgenciesSection 106 of the National HistoricPreservation Act of 1966, as amended, andNational Park Service policy requireconsultation with the State HistoricPreservation Office, Advisory Council onHistoric Preservation and interested personsbefore undertaking an action on historicproperties. Section 7 of the Endangered SpeciesAct requires all federal agencies to consult withthe United States Fish and Wildlife Service toensure that any action authorized, funded orcarried out by a federal agency does notjeopardize the continued existence of listedspecies or critical habitat.

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Consultation was conducted through letters tothe New Jersey State Historic PreservationOffice and the New Jersey Field Office of theU.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. NPS received awritten response from the U.S. Fish & WildlifeService.

Consultation with Native American Tribes wasconducted through letters to the federallyrecognized Native American tribes—theStockbridge-Munsee Community ofWisconsin, the Delaware Nation, and theDelaware Tribe of Indians. The lettersrequested that these entities identify any issuesregarding the study, their interest in futureparticipation, resource identification andpotential for collaborative action. A letter ofresponse and an e-mail were received from theDelaware Tribe of Indians.

These documents appear in Appendix Two.

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Great Falls Historic District

Special Resource Study Team and Advisors

Study Team

Patricia Iolavera, Community Planner, Former Study Project ManagerWilliam Bolger, Historian, Northeast RegionWilliam Brookover, Historical Architect, Northeast RegionAllison Crnic, Community Planner, Northeast RegionJennifer Gates, Architectural Technician, Preservation Assistance Program,

Northeast RegionChristine Gobrial, Community Planner, Northeast RegionJacquelyn Katzmire, Regional Environmental Coordinator,

Compliance, Northeast RegionJed Levin, Industrial Archeologist, Northeast RegionAlisa McCann, Architectural Historian, Northeast RegionTerrence D. Moore, Chief of Park Planning and Special Studies

Northeast RegionPeter Samuel, Outdoor Recreation Planner, Northeast Region

National Park Service Advisors

Mary A. Bomar, Former Regional Director, Northeast RegionRobert W. McIntosh, Associate Regional Director for Planning,

Construction and Facilities Management, Northeast RegionKeith Everett, Associate Regional Director, Resource Stewardship

and Science, Northeast RegionLinda Canzanelli, Associate Regional Director for Park Operations

and Conservation and Recreation Assistance, Northeast RegionDavid Hollenberg, Former Associate Regional Director, Design,

Construction and Facilities Management, Northeast RegionPaul Weinbaum, History Program Manager, Northeast Region

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Appendices

Appendix One: Legislation .......................................... 77

Appendix Two: Consultation Correspondence ............ 81

Appendix Three: Bilbliography .................................... 97

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Appendix One

Legislation

Appendix One: Legislation

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Appendix Two

ConsultationCorrespondence

Appendix Two: Consultation Correspondence

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Appendix Three

Bibliography

Appendix Three: Bibliography

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Bibliography

Batchelder, Samuel, Introduction and Early Progress of the Cotton Manufacture of the United States, Boston,Little, Brown and Co., 1893

Brookhiser, Richard, Alexander Hamilton – American, New York, Simon and Schuster, 1999

Brown, M.L. Firearms in Colonial America: The Impact on History and Technology, 1492-1792,Technology and Culture, Vol. 23, No. 1 (Jan., 1982), pp. 118-120.

Chernow, Ron, Alexander Hamilton, New York, Penguin Press, 2004.

Clark, Victor S. The History of Manufactures in the United States. Vol. 1, 1607-1860. New York: Peter Smith, 1949.

Cowen, David J., The Origins and Economic Impact of the First Bank of the United States, 1791-1797. NewYork and London: Garland Publishing, 2000.

Crowe, Kenneth C., Alexander Hamilton – The Founding Father With the Ulterior Motive, Newsday and theAlicia Patterson Foundation, New York, July 31, 1975.

Davis, Joseph Stancliffe, Essays In The Earlier History Of American Corporations, Cambridge, HarvardUniversity Press, 1917.

Elkins, Stanley and McKitrick, Eric, The Age of Federalism – The Early American Republic, 1788-1800,Oxford University Press, New York, 1993.

Geisst, Charles, Wall Street: A History. Oxford University Press, 1997.

Gordon, John Steele, The Great Crash of 1792, American Heritage Magazine.

Groner, Alex, The History of American Business and Industry, New York: American Heritage Publishing Co.,1973.

Hamilton, Alexander, Industrial and Commercial Correspondence of Alexander Hamiton, Anticipating HisReport on Manufactures, edited by Arthur Harrison Cole, with a preface by Professor Edwin F. Gay.Published under the auspices of the Business Historical Society Inc., Chicago, A.W. Shaw Co., 1928.

Hammond, J.L., The Rise of Modern Industry, New York, Harcourt Brace 1937.

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Hindle, Brooke, and Lubar, Steven, Engines of Change: The American Industrial Revolution 1790-1860.Smithsonian Institution Press, 1986.

Historic American Engineering Record (HAER), Great Falls SUM Survey, A report on the First Summers Work,in cooperation with the Great Falls Development Corporation, 1973.

Hudson, Kenneth, Industrial Archeology: a New Introduction, London: J. Baker, 1976.

Hunter, Louis C., A History of Industrial Power in the United States, 1780-1930, Vol. One: Water Power in theCentury of the Steam Engine, University Press of Virginia, 1979.

Hutchenson, Harold, Tench Coxe: A Study in American Economic Development. New York: Da Capo Press,1969.

Jeremy, David, Transatlantic Industrial Revolution: The Diffusion of Textile Technologies Between Britain andAmerica 1790s – 1830s, MIT Press, 1981.

Jones, Robert Francis, The King of the Alley: William Duer : Politician, Entrepreneur, and Speculator 1768-1799, The American Philosophical Society, 1992.

Lodge, Henry Cabot, The Works of Alexander Hamilton, G.P. Putnam & Sons, New York, NY, 1904.

Mitchell, Broadus. Alexander Hamilton, The National Adventure, 1788-1804. New York: The MacmillanCompany, 1962.

Murphy, J. Palmer, and Margaret Murphy, Paterson & Passaic County, An Illustrated History, Northridge,Calif., Windsor Publications, 1987.

New Jersey Historical Records Survey, Project Copy of the Calendar of the S.U.M. Collection ofManuscripts, estimated date: 1942.

Pred, Allan Richard, Urban Growth and the Circulatin of Information: The United States System of Cities, 1790– 1840, Cambridge, Harvard University Press, 1973.

Randall, William Sterns, Alexander Hamilton, A Life. HarperCollins, New York, 2003.

Renner, Lisanne. From Farms to Factories: Two Centuries of Shaping Paterson’s Urban Form. The North JerseyHighlander, the Journal of the North Jersey Highlands Historical Society 33, no. 87, 1997.

Shriner, Charles A, Four Chapters of Paterson History, Paterson, N.J., Lont & Overcamp Pub. Co., 1919.

Appendix Three: Bibliography

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Tripp, Anne Huber, The I.W.W. and the Paterson Silk Strike of 1913, Urbana, University of Illinois Press,1987.

Trumbore, Brian, (President/Editor) StocksandNews.com, William Duer and the Crash of 1792, http://www.buyandhold.com/hb/en/education/8699.html.

Trumball, Levi R., A History of Industrial Paterson, Paterson, N.J. C. M. Herrick, printer, 1882.

Vance, James E., Jr., The Continuing City: Urban Morphology in Western Civilization, John HopkinsUniversity Press, Baltimore & London, 1990 (rev.).

Vance, James E., Jr., The North American Railroad: Its Origin, Evolution, and Geography, John HopkinsUniversity Press, Baltimore & London, 1995.

White, John H, American Locomotives: An Engineering History, 1830-1880, Baltimore, Johns Hopkins Press,1968.

This report has been prepared to provide Congress and the public with information about the resources inthe study area and how they relate to criteria for inclusion within the national park system. Publicationand transmittal of this report should not be considered an endorsement or a commitment by the NationalPark Service to seek or support either specific legislative authorization for the project or appropriation forits implementation. Authorization and funding for any new commitments by the National Park Servicewill have to be considered in light of competing priorities for existing units of the national park systemand other programs.

This report was prepared by the United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service,Northeast Region. For additional copies or more information contact:

National Park ServiceDivision of Park Planning & Special Studies200 Chestnut Street, 3rd FloorPhiladelphia, PA 19106215.597.1848

Department of the Interior

As the nation’s principal conservation agency, the Department of the Interior has theresponsibility for most of our nationally-owned public lands and natural resources.Its duties include fostering sound use of our land and water resources; protecting ourfish, wildlife and biological diversity; preserving the environmental and cultural valuesof our national parks and historic places; and providing for the enjoyment of lifethrough outdoor recreation. The Department assesses our energy and mineralresources and works to ensure that their development is in the best interest of all ourpeople by encouraging stewardship and citizen participation in their care. TheDepartment also has major responsibility for American Indian reservationcommunities and for people who live in island territories under U.S. administration.

National Park Service

The National Park Service is a bureau within the Department of the Interior. Itsmission is to preserve unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of theNational Park system for the enjoyment, education and inspiration of this and futuregenerations. The Park Service cooperates with partners to extend the benefits ofnatural and cultural resources conservation and outdoor recreation throughout thiscountry and the world.

Great Falls Historic DistrictPaterson, New Jersey

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