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Downtown Paterson is the main commercial district of Paterson, Passaic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The area is the oldest part of the city, along the banks of the Passaic River and its Great Falls. It is roughly bounded by Interstate 80, Garret Mountain Reservation, Route 19, Oliver Street, and Spruce Street on the south; the Passaic River, West Broadway, Cliff Street, North 3rd Street, Haledon Avenue, and the borough of Prospect Park on the west; and the Passaic River also to the north.

Overview

After a devastating fire in 1902, the city rebuilt the downtown with massive Beaux-Arts-style buildings, many of which remain to this day. and are contributing properties to the Downtown Commercial Historic District. These buildings are usually four to seven stories tall. Downtown Paterson is home to City Hall and the Passaic County Court House, two of the city's architectural landmarks. City Hall was designed by the New York firm Carrere and Hastings in 1894 and is modeled after the Hôtel de Ville (city hall) in Lyon, France, capital of the silk industry in Europe. Downtown abounds with buildings designed by Fred Wesley Wentworth, some in collaboration with his draftsman and later partner Frederick J. Vreeland, who worked in the city from the turn of the century to the 1930s. The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist survived the fire. As the county seat Paterson is home to the Passaic County Court House complex, Passaic County Community College, and several federal and state offices. Center City Mall is a 320,000-square-foot (30,000 m) shopping mall at 301 Main Street opened in 2009. The massive Masjid Jalalabad mosque, which can accommodate 1,500 worshippers, is located on Van Houten Street. Paterson Broadway Bus Terminal is a major regional bus terminal. Downtown has a diverse ethnic makeup with large Dominican, Puerto Rican, Peruvian, and Mexican populations. Little Lima is the largest Peruvian American enclave in the United States.

Historic district

Paterson Downtown Commercial Historic District
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district
New Jersey Register of Historic Places
Main Street in Paterson
Show map of Passaic County, New JerseyShow map of New JerseyShow map of the United States
Location	Parts of Main, Market, Ellison, Van Houten, Broadway, West Broadway, Fair, Prospect, Cianci, Church, Colt, Washington and Hamilton streets
Coordinates	40°55′2″N 74°10′21″W / 40.91722°N 74.17250°W / 40.91722; -74.17250
Area	41 acres (17 ha)
Built	1851
Architect	John Merven Carrère, Thomas Hastings
Architectural style	Beaux Arts, Romanesque
NRHP reference No.	99000192
NJRHP No.	170
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	February 12, 1999
Designated NJRHP	December 15, 1998

The Paterson Downtown Commercial Historic District is a 41-acre (17 ha) historic district containing parts of Main, Market, Ellison, Van Houten, Broadway, West Broadway, Fair, Prospect, Cianci, Church, Colt, Washington and Hamilton streets in downtown Paterson. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on February 12, 1999 for its significance in architecture, commerce, and community planning and development. The district includes 210 contributing buildings and one contributing object. It includes the Paterson City Hall, which was added individually to the NRHP in 1995. The Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park and Public School Number Two are located nearby.

Tallest commercial buildings

Rank	Name	Address	image	Height ft/m	Floors	Year	Notes
1	Alexander Hamilton Plaza	100 Hamilton Plaza		176 ft (54 m)	14	1973	named for Alexander Hamilton
	The Hamiltonian Medical Missions for Children	703 Main Street		169 ft (52 m)	14	2014 construction start 2016 projected completion	DoubleTree
2	Cathedral of St. John the Baptist	381 Grand Street			spire	1868	by Patrick Keely
3	Paterson City Hall	155 Market Street		164 ft (50 m)	tower	1896	by Carrère and Hastings
	St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center	703 Main Street		130 ft (40 m)	9	1928
	Passaic County Court House Annex	Hamilton Street			spire	1898	by F.W. Wentworth
	Old Passaic County Court House	71 Hamilton Street			dome and statue	1898	by Samuel B. Reed
	YMCA Building	128 Ward Street		109 ft (33 m)	9	1929	by F.W. Wentworth
	Passaic County Administration Building	401 Grand Street		109 ft (33 m)	9	1994
	Fabian Building	31-51 Church Street		97 ft (30 m)	9	1925	for Jacob Fabian by F.W. Wentworth
	Alexander Hamilton Hotel	39-55 Church Street		97 ft (30 m)	8	1925	by F.W. Wentworth
	Center City Mall	301 Main Street		85 ft (26 m)	5	2009
	Passaic County Court House	77 Hamilton Street		85 ft (26 m)	7	1968
	Robert A. Roe Federal Building	200 Federal Plaza		73 ft (22 m)	6		for Robert A. Roe

CBD, SID, and UEZ

The central business district of Paterson is the area closest to the Passaic River on the west side of the city. The areas along Market Street and Main Street are some of the busiest and largest commercial districts in Paterson. Downtown was once a shopping mecca for northern New Jersey. As with many other older urban cores in the United States, it suffered as shoppers and retailers moved to the suburban shopping malls of the region. For a large part, Downtown retailers are "mom and pop" retailers who employ local residents. In 1997, a special improvement district (SID) created by Merchants and Businesses of Downtown Paterson, comprising over 300 stakeholders, updated storefronts and beautified city streets with signage and lighting. Downtown SID employees supplement the municipal cleaning, informational, and safety services of the city by maintaining a "Clean and Safe" staff. The association participates in many city activities with sponsorships such as the Great Falls Festival and the annual 4th of July fireworks show, one of Northern New Jersey's largest. Additionally, the SID implements several events throughout the year in Downtown Paterson. Downtown Paterson was an Urban Enterprise Zone (UEZ), which means that participating stores sell merchandise at 3.5% sales tax, instead of the normal 7% sales tax. The UEZ also invested greatly in Downtown Paterson and the entire stretch of Main Street, with a beautification project. New street furniture such as benches, garbage cans, newspaper kiosks, bus shelters, clocks, bike racks have been installed.

Dublin Area

Dublin, considered the first neighborhood of Paterson, was built up around the mills near Great Falls. The area, which is responsible for the early growth of Paterson, has a rich history and has had a diverse and changing ethnic makeup. Originally settled by Irish immigrants, the neighborhood has seen waves of English, Italians and more recently Hispanic immigrants. The Dublin area today incorporates parts of Old Great Falls Historic District and the area on Market Street, which has a large Peruvian and Argentine population today.

Wrigley Park

Wrigley Park is the northern section of downtown, north of Broadway and to the east of the Passaic River. Wrigley Park is a predominantly African-American community and is mostly residential. The area is considered to be one of the more dangerous sections of Paterson along with areas of the Northside, although the crime rate has declined gradually in recent years.

The Northside

Northside is a mostly residential neighborhood on the north bank of the Passaic River. The neighborhood stretches back to Paterson's borders with Haledon and Prospect Park. The neighborhoods on this side of the river are up a steep hill that gives many of the houses and streets in the Northside great views of Manhattan.

Transportation

Train service began with the Paterson and Hudson River Railroad in 1833. Erie Railroad ran service on its Newark Branch and Main Line. The Paterson rail station is located in Downtown. Paterson is served by New Jersey Transit on the Main Line and limited service on the Port Jervis Line.

The Broadway Bus Terminal is the point of origin for numerous New Jersey Transit Bus Operations' local and Manhattan-bound bus lines.

Interstate 80 passes south of Downtown. New Jersey Route 19, known as the Paterson Peripheral, connects Interstate 80 and the Garden State Parkway to Downtown where it becomes Ward Street.

See also

• Paterson Armory

References

1. Simon, Lizzie (November 11, 2012). "Discovering Paterson One Building at a Time". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved October 10, 2014.
2. "Walking Tour of Downtown". Paterson History. Archived from the original on March 19, 2012. Retrieved September 15, 2014.
3. "Book looks at life and times of Fred Wentworth". Foster's Daily Democrat. February 7, 2013. Retrieved October 10, 2014.
4. "Paterson Listed Historic Sites and Landmarked Buildings Buildings" (PDF). Greater Paterson.org. May 2008. Retrieved October 10, 2014.
5. Polton, Richard E. (2012), The Life and Times of Fred Wesley Wentworth: The Architect Who Shaped Paterson, NJ and Its People, Pine Hill Architectural Press, LLC, ISBN 9780813560786, archived from the original on November 12, 2019, retrieved October 13, 2014
6. "Paterson". Phorio. Retrieved October 14, 2014.
7. "A Brief History of Peruvian Immigration to the United States". yumimmigrantcity.com. Archived from the original on July 31, 2013. Retrieved July 27, 2014.
8. "National Register Information System – (#99000192)". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013.
9. "New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places - Passaic County" (PDF). New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection - Historic Preservation Office. September 28, 2021. p. 6.
10. Lyons, George (August 1998). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Paterson Downtown Commercial Historic District". National Park Service. With accompanying 150 photos
11. "Alexander Hamilton Plaza". Emporis. Archived from the original on October 12, 2014. Retrieved October 6, 2014.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
12. "The Hamiltonian". Garret Mountain Associates. Archived from the original on November 21, 2014. Retrieved December 6, 2014.
13. "Medical Missions for Children Hilton Doubletree". Emporis. Archived from the original on December 16, 2014. Retrieved December 10, 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
14. Prochilo, Dan (August 11, 2014). "Developer predicts $150M Paterson hotel will be 'very, very busy'". Emporis. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved December 10, 2014.
15. Ma, Myles (August 7, 2014). "$100 million Paterson hotel to break ground in October". The Star-Ledger. Retrieved December 10, 2014.
16. Malinconico, Joe (December 10, 2013). "Paterson hotel project at hospital gets $105 million in state funding". NorthJersey.com. Retrieved December 10, 2014.
17. "Cathedral of St. John the Baptist". Emporis. Archived from the original on December 15, 2014. Retrieved November 7, 2014.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
18. "Paterson City Hall". Emporis. Archived from the original on October 12, 2014. Retrieved October 6, 2014.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
19. "Saint Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center". Emporis. Archived from the original on October 12, 2014. Retrieved October 8, 2014.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
20. ^ "Passaic County Administration Building". Emporis. Archived from the original on October 12, 2014. Retrieved March 22, 2014.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
21. ^ "Facilities Plan Phase i: Inventory and Needs Assessment". Passaic County Planning Department. May 23, 2011. Archived from the original on November 22, 2014. Retrieved October 14, 2014.
22. "Old Passaic County Court House". Emporis. Archived from the original on October 18, 2014. Retrieved March 22, 2014.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
23. "YMCA Building". Emporis. Archived from the original on October 18, 2014. Retrieved October 10, 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
24. "Fabian Building". Emporis. Archived from the original on October 18, 2014. Retrieved October 10, 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
25. "Alexander Hamilton Hotel". Emporis. Archived from the original on October 18, 2014. Retrieved October 10, 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
26. "Center City Atrium". Emporis. Archived from the original on October 13, 2014. Retrieved October 13, 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
27. "Passaic County Court House". Emporis. Archived from the original on October 18, 2014. Retrieved October 10, 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
28. "New Jersey Federal Buildings".
29. "Robert A. Roe Federal Building". Emporis. Archived from the original on October 12, 2014. Retrieved October 10, 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
30. "Merchants and Businesses of Downtown Paterson". Merchants and Businesses of Downtown Paterson. Retrieved October 15, 2014.
31. Ma, Myles (November 7, 2014). "Filling the void: Paterson sets sights on hundreds of abandoned properties". nj.

External links

• PatersonHistory.com Archived March 19, 2012, at the Wayback Machine

v t e U.S. National Register of Historic Places in New Jersey
Topics	Contributing property Keeper of the Register Historic district History of the National Register of Historic Places National Park Service Property types
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Other lists	Bridges National Historic Landmarks National Natural Landmarks
Category NRHP Portal New Jersey Portal

v t e National Register of Historic Places in Passaic County, New Jersey
Landmarks	Pietro and Maria Botto House Great Falls of the Passaic River Historic District Hinchliffe Stadium Ringwood Manor
Districts	Botany Worsted Mills Historic District Dundee Canal Industrial Historic District Eastside Park Historic District Long Pond Ironworks Passaic County Court House and United States Custom House and Post Office Historic District Paterson Downtown Commercial Historic District
Places of worship	Cathedral of St. John the Baptist St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church St. Michael's Roman Catholic Church St. Nicholas Roman Catholic Church
Houses	Ailsa Farms Aycrigg Mansion Belle Vista Frederick William Cooke Residence Dey Mansion John W. Ferguson House Garritse–Doremus–Westervelt House John W. Rea House Schuyler–Colfax House Reynier Speer House Daniel Thompson and John Ryle Houses Van Riper–Hopper House Van Houten House John and Anna Vreeland House
Buildings	Danforth Memorial Library Kossuth Street School Morris Canal Passaic Elks Club Paterson City Hall People's Bank and Trust Company Building Public School Number Two Reinhardt Mills Skylands U.S. Animal Quarantine Station
Sites	Goffle Brook Park
Structures	Arch Street Bridge over the Passaic River Clinton Furnace Straight Street Bridge over the Passaic River
See also: National Register of Historic Places listings in Passaic County, New Jersey and List of National Historic Landmarks in New Jersey

• Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in New Jersey
• Beaux-Arts architecture in New Jersey
• Neighborhoods in Paterson, New Jersey
• National Register of Historic Places in Passaic County, New Jersey
• Fred Wesley Wentworth buildings
• New Jersey Register of Historic Places
• Central business districts in the United States