Description:
The Great Falls / S.U.M. National Historic Landmark district is a 118-acre industrial historic site located in Paterson, New Jersey. Located just 12 miles west of New York City, it is home to the largest and best example of early manufacturing mills in the United States. It contains 18th, 19th, and 20th-century waterpower remnants, including a three-tiered water raceway system. At the district's core is the natural landmark Great Falls, the second largest waterfall by volume east of the Mississippi. The 77-foot tall falls, engineered raceways and mills form a complex that is unique and irreplaceable to our nation. It has been described as America's very first systematic attempt to develop extensive waterpower for manufacturing purposes.