PREVIOUS QUESTION ABOUT NEW JERSEY HISTORY

 

Dear NJHM:

I recently visited a hospital in Paterson, New Jersey. While I was there I noticed on a mountain nearby there stood a small castle. I drove around until I located it, and it was in Carret Reservation in Clifton. I was wondering what the story behind it was. It looked similar to a lookout tower. I have searched on the net, but have not had any luck. Can you help?

Sincerely,
Ford

 

Dear Ford:

I assume what you saw was the Observation Tower (also called the Rook Tower) of "Lambert Castle" in Garret Mountain Reservation in Paterson. Did you notice a large sandstone mansion nearby? I would not call the tower small, however, it is almost 70 feet high. Lambert Castle was built in 1892 by Catholina Lambert, a wealthy silk baron, who named it "Belle Vista". Four years later he added the Observation Tower. Lambert came to America in 1834 from England when he was 17. By 1890 he had become one of the largest mill owners in Paterson, the "Silk City of the New World". The Castle was more than a residence to him. It served as a private museum for his collection of art and antiques from around the world. The decline of industry in Paterson in the early 1900's hit Lambert hard. By 1914 he was forced to sell a large share of the estate, and a few years later he auctioned many of his art holdings to satisfy debtors. In spite of this, Lambert was able to remain living comfortably at the Castle until his death in 1923. His son and heir, Walter Lambert, sold it to the City of Paterson after his death, who sold it to the Passaic County Parks Commission in 1934. It is now the home of the Passaic County Historical Society. The Castle is in the process of undergoing a six million dollar renovation, and is scheduled to reopen in the Spring of this year. Make sure to check it out. For further information you can contact:

Lambert Castle Museum
Passaic County Historical Society
3 Valley Road
Paterson, NJ 07503
(973) 881-2761

 

SOURCES

New Jersey: Off the Beaten Track
By: William G. and Kay Scheller
The Globe Pequot Press, 1988 ---- BUY THIS BOOK

The WPA Guide to 1930's New Jersey
By: The Federal Writer's Project
Rutgers University Press, 1986 ---- BUY THIS BOOK

 

BACK TO QUESTIONS