Dublin, Paterson
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dublin a former neighborhood in Paterson, New Jersey is the area that makes up Little Lima and Little Italy today. Dublin was Paterson's first distinct neighborhood that grew up around the mills along the east bank of the Passaic River in Downtown Paterson. Alexander Hamilton established the Society for the Establishment of Useful Manufactures (S.U.M.), which helped to harness the power of Great Falls in 1791. In the early 1800s there were several mills and machine shops along the Passaic, downriver from the falls. The work force was predominantly Englihsmen and Irishmen. A grid of streets were laid out by Pierre L'Enfant for the housing of millworkers in the area. The area then known as Dublin was bound by the Morris Canal, Garrett Mountain and Main Street with a populated area along Market Street. Towards the end of the 1800s, the ethnic makeup of the workers included Irish, English, Scottish and German people. In the early 20th century a growing Italian workforce in the area created the Little Italy neighborhood around Cianci Street. The area today continues to have a diverse ethnic makeup with Italian, Peruvian, Argentinian and other Hispanic citizens. Some of the old mill buildings of the area have been converted into housing and retail in addition to the Paterson Museum.