Lambert Castle Reopens After $13M Restoration

The recent restoration of Lambert Castle is the latest chapter in a history stretching back to 1892. Originally named "Belle Vista," the medieval revival-style mansion was built by Catholina Lambert, a prominent silk mill owner who envisioned a home reminiscent of the castles he remembered from his boyhood in Great Britain. The initial construction, using sandstone quarried from the surrounding hills, cost an estimated half a million dollars. Catholina Lambert's story was a classic "rags to riches" tale. Born to mill workers in Yorkshire, England, he arrived in Boston in 1851 with just five pounds to his name. He quickly rose through the ranks of the silk industry, eventually buying out his partner and establishing Dexter, Lambert & Company, a major force in Paterson's booming silk manufacturing scene. Perched atop Garret Mountain, the castle offered Lambert a commanding view of the city and the source of his wealth. Paterson, known as "Silk City," was the epicenter of American silk production in the late 19th century, powered by the Great Falls of the Passaic River. The industry attracted thousands of immigrant workers from European silk centers, who labored in the more than 100 silk-related businesses that filled the city. Lambert was a renowned art collector, and by 1891, his previous home could no longer house his extensive collection of American and European paintings and sculptures. The castle was designed to be a showplace for these treasures, and in 1896, he added a large art gallery and a 70-foot observation tower. President William McKinley, after a visit in 1898, reportedly dubbed the estate the "Louvre of America." However, the decline of Paterson's silk industry and the impact of the 1913 Silk Strike severely damaged Lambert's finances. In 1916, he was forced to auction his beloved art collection for a fraction of its estimated value to cover his company's debts. Tragically, a painting he believed to be by an assistant was recognized as a genuine Leonardo da Vinci four decades later, its true value at the time of sale could have saved him from financial ruin. After Lambert's death in 1923, the castle was sold to the City of Paterson and later to Passaic County. Over the years, it served as a tuberculosis hospital and administrative offices before the Passaic County Historical Society established a museum there in 1934. The latest renovation, which began in 2021, included structural repairs, the restoration of interior spaces, and accessibility upgrades, ensuring the landmark will continue to tell the story of Passaic County's Gilded Age for generations to come. The project was led by the preservation architecture firm Clarke Caton Hintz.