What a Rush!

Great Falls Hydroelectric Plant in Paterson, New Jersey
The original hydroelectric plant was installed in 1912.

French trained architect, engineer and city planner Pierre L'Enfant, who drew the plans for Washington, D.C., was the first general superintendent for the S.U.M. project. He proposed to harness power from the falls by a channel through the rock and an aqueduct. The society directors felt that L'Enfant was taking too long and was over budget. He was replaced by Peter Colt, who got the water flowing for the new factories in 1794. Colt used a less complicated plan than L'Enfant based on a reservoir system. Eventually Colt's scheme developed problems and a system nearer L'Enfant's original plan was used after 1846.

In 1910, S.U.M. convinced the mill owers to switch to electricity. Thomas Edison's Electric Company drew up plans for a 4849 kilowatt hydroelectric facility which operated from 1914 until 1969. In 1984, the plant was restored with the replacement of three of the four turbines. In 1986 the plant was restarted and now generates 11,000 kilowatts per hour, enough electricity for 11,000 homes. Recently the plant produced nearly $400,000 worth of electricity in four months which it sold to Public Service Electric and Gas. Source: http://www.rt23.com/history/Paterson_NJ-silk_city.shtml


The Great Falls Generating Station is located on the Passaic River in the City of Paterson, New Jersey. The site was originally utilized for the production of electrical energy and was decommissioned in January 1969. The powerhouse was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1971. In 1986, the facility underwent a major rehabilitation with the installation of three new turbine-generators and new electrical and control equipment and was recommissioned in December 1986. The installed capacity is 10,950 kilowatts.