History of Paterson’s Eastside Neighborhood
The Eastside is one of Paterson’s most historic and architecturally significant neighborhoods. Stretching east of Downtown to the Passaic River, it developed from farmland into an elegant residential suburb during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Today, it is home to the nationally recognized Eastside Park Historic District, one of New Jersey’s finest collections of historic homes.
From Farms to Residential Neighborhood
For much of the nineteenth century, the Eastside consisted of farms and country estates owned by prominent Paterson families, including the Van Buren family and Civil War veteran Colonel Andrew Derrom. The area remained largely rural while Paterson’s mills expanded around the Great Falls.
As the city prospered through the silk industry, wealthy industrialists sought homes away from the smoke and noise of the factories. The Eastside’s higher elevations, broad streets, and proximity to the Passaic River made it an ideal location for elegant residences.
Eastside Park
The transformation of the neighborhood began with the creation of Eastside Park, originally known as Washington Park.
In 1888, the City of Paterson purchased approximately 66 acres of Colonel Andrew Derrom’s estate to establish a public park. The park was designed in 1899 by landscape architect John Y. Culyer, who had worked with the teams responsible for both Central Park and Prospect Park in New York. The design reflected the City Beautiful Movement, emphasizing winding paths, open lawns, shade trees, gardens, and recreational facilities.
The park quickly became the centerpiece around which one of Paterson’s finest residential neighborhoods developed.
The Golden Age
Between approximately 1895 and 1930, hundreds of homes were constructed around Eastside Park. The neighborhood attracted many of Paterson’s leading citizens, including:
- Silk manufacturers
- Mill owners
- Bank presidents
- Physicians
- Attorneys
- Judges
- Civic leaders
- Politicians
Large corner lots, tree-lined streets, and carefully landscaped properties gave the Eastside an atmosphere unlike any other section of the city.
Architectural styles represented include:
- Colonial Revival
- Tudor Revival
- Georgian Revival
- Italian Renaissance
- Dutch Colonial
- Craftsman
- American Foursquare
- Victorian
Many of the homes were designed by prominent architects, including Fred Wesley Wentworth, whose work helped define Paterson’s residential architecture during the early twentieth century.
A Diverse Community
While initially developed for affluent families, the Eastside gradually became home to a wide variety of ethnic and religious communities.
Among those who settled here were:
- Dutch descendants
- English families
- Germans
- Irish
- Italians
- Jewish residents
- Lebanese and Syrian immigrants
- Later African American, Hispanic, Arab, Turkish, and South Asian families
The neighborhood once contained one of northern New Jersey’s largest Jewish communities, with institutions such as Barnert Temple and Temple Emanuel serving thousands of residents. Today, the Eastside is also home to the Paterson campus of the Islamic Center of Passaic County, reflecting the neighborhood’s continuing cultural diversity.
Schools and Institutions
The Eastside has long been associated with some of Paterson’s most notable educational institutions.
Among them are:
- Eastside High School
- Public School No. 5
- Public School No. 21
- St. Bonaventure’s School (historic)
- Various churches, synagogues, and community organizations that served generations of residents.
Eastside High School gained national recognition through former principal Joe Clark, whose leadership inspired the 1989 film Lean on Me.
Postwar Changes
Following World War II, Paterson experienced major economic and demographic changes. As manufacturing declined and suburban development accelerated, many affluent families moved to surrounding communities.
Some of the Eastside’s large homes were converted into apartments or rooming houses, while others suffered from years of deferred maintenance. Despite these changes, much of the neighborhood retained its remarkable architectural character.
Beginning in the 1990s, preservationists and homeowners began restoring many of the historic residences, recognizing the area’s importance to Paterson’s history.
Eastside Park Historic District
In recognition of its exceptional architectural and historical significance, the Eastside Park Historic District was listed on both the New Jersey Register of Historic Places and the National Register of Historic Places in 2004.
The district encompasses approximately:
- 300 acres
- Nearly 800 contributing historic buildings
- Eastside Park
- Three smaller neighborhood parks
- One of the largest concentrations of early twentieth-century residential architecture in New Jersey.
The Eastside Today
Today, the Eastside remains one of Paterson’s most recognizable neighborhoods. Residents continue to restore historic homes while preserving the neighborhood’s architectural legacy. Eastside Park remains one of the city’s premier public parks, hosting community events, recreation, and family gatherings.
The neighborhood’s tree-lined streets, grand homes, and historic character stand as reminders of Paterson’s prosperity during the Silk City era. Together with the Great Falls, Downtown, and the Colt Gun Mill Historic District, the Eastside represents one of the city’s greatest historical treasures.
Legacy
For more than a century, the Eastside has symbolized Paterson’s civic pride and residential elegance. Its magnificent homes, beautiful park, and diverse community reflect the city’s evolution from an industrial powerhouse to one of New Jersey’s richest repositories of architectural and cultural history.