Lambert Castle facts for kids
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Belle Vista
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Lambert Castle in 2014
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 Location in Passaic County, New Jersey
Location in New Jersey
Location in the United States
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| Location | Valley Road in Garret Mountain Reservation, Paterson, New Jersey |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1892 |
| NRHP reference No. | 76001180 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | June 3, 1976 |
Lambert Castle, originally called Belle Vista, is a cool old building in Paterson, Passaic County, New Jersey. It's found inside the Garret Mountain Reservation. This castle was built way back in 1892. It's so special that it was added to the National Register of Historic Places on June 3, 1976. This means it's important for its art, how it was built, and its connection to history.
The Castle's Story
Lambert Castle was built in 1892. It was the home of Catholina Lambert. He owned a very important silk factory in Paterson. Mr. Lambert wanted his home to look like the castles he remembered from his childhood in Great Britain. He built it in a style called Medieval Revival.
Famous people visited the castle. President William McKinley and Vice President Garret Hobart came to see it in 1898.
In June 1910, a filmmaker named D. W. Griffith filmed a movie here. It was called The Call To Arms. The movie came out in July 1910. Famous actors like Mary Pickford and Henry B. Walthall were in it.
From Home to Museum
After Catholina Lambert passed away in 1923, his family sold the castle. The City of Paterson bought it first. Then, a few years later, Passaic County bought it.
Passaic County used the building for its offices. In 1936, they gave one room to a new group. This group was the Passaic County Historical Society. They used the room as a history museum. Over time, the museum grew. It took over more and more rooms. Eventually, the whole first floor became the historical museum.
In the late 1990s, the castle got a big makeover. Millions of dollars were spent to fix it up. All four floors of the building were turned into a museum and a library.
How the Castle Was Built
Building the castle started in 1891. It was built on the side of the First Watchung Mountain. The builders used sandstone and granite. The sandstone came from the hills nearby.
The first part of the castle cost a lot of money. It was about half a million dollars back then. In 1896, an art gallery was added to the castle. Also, a tall 70-foot observation tower was built. This tower was on top of the cliff.
The art gallery part of the castle became old and broken. It was taken down in 1936. The observation tower was open to people for many years. But it also became old and was closed in the late 1960s.
In 2014, the Garret Rock Observation tower was fixed up. It was opened to the public again. You can visit the tower for free. From the top, you can see amazing views all around.
Images for kids
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Marble lion statues by the entrance
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Lambert Tower on the mountain crest
See also
In Spanish: Castillo Lambert para niños
