Northeast Historical Archaeology Volume 4 1974 Symposium on Industrial Archaeology, Article 6 Paterson, N.J.
1975 The tudS y of Ten Houses in Paterson's Dublin Area Jo Ann Cotz
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Recommended Citation Cotz, Jo Ann (1975) "The tudyS of Ten Houses in Paterson's Dublin Area," Northeast Historical Archaeology: Vol. 4 4, Article 6. https://doi.org/10.22191/neha/vol4/iss1/6 Available at: http://orb.binghamton.edu/neha/vol4/iss1/6
This Article is brought to you for free and open access by The Open Repository @ Binghamton (The ORB). It has been accepted for inclusion in Northeast Historical Archaeology by an authorized editor of The Open Repository @ Binghamton (The ORB). For more information, please contact [email protected]. A StudJ of Ten louses in Paterson's Dublin Area
JoAnnCotz
INTRODUCTION and 20th-century surface debris, evidence of settlement on those lots during that One of the most exciting concepts emerging general period of time. Grading of the from the Paterson Salvage Archeology Proj same area unearthed stains in the ground, ect is the holistic study of a 19th-cen which Wilson identified as privy sites. tury industrial city. Being recorded are Consequently 15 features, including nine not only patterns of technological and privies, were excavated behind lots 188 industrial growth but also the cultural through 198 on Mill Street. In the priv struggle of a newly migrated populous. ies and cisterns, Wilson uncovered a The interaction of a .study of Paterson's storehouse of 19th-century domestic cul Irish working district, "Dublin," with tural material: numerous glass bottles studies of the city's industrial growth and fragments; ornately decorated clay in textiles, locomotive building, and pipe bowls and pipe stems; articles of silk weaving, illustrates an interesting clothing; and a variety of ceramic mat aspect of the evolving culture of a 19th erial, marbles, and lighting device century city. fragments (see Fig. 4- 4). The material In July 1973, a precedent was set when culture found coincided chronologically an "archeologist-observer" was included with historical analysis of the houses, in the Paterson archeological salvage and began to whet our interest in the contract work negotiated between Federal 19th-century worker's society that sur and State Departments of Transportation rounded the locomotive works. (D.O.T.) and Great Falls Development, Inc. According to local oral tradition, the (G.F.D.). The archeologist-observer, N.J. ten house-lot area was included in the Historic Sites Section archeologist part of the city known as "Dublin," so Charles "Budd" Wilson, was empowered to named for the Irish immigrants who had WOTk outside the boundaries of the His settled there in the 19th century. Al toric District on the drain right-of-way though the landmarks guiding Dublin's and on the Route 20 extension as well, boundaries have changed in the past 125 covering the entire highway area (see years--e.g., the Morris Canal has now Figs. 1-1 and l-2, and Article 4). been replaced by Interstate Route 80 One area of the highway right-of-way (Bergen Passaic Expressway), the area explored by Wilson involved property be itself is still very much intact phys hind houses on south Mill Street, on sec ically (Fig. 1-1). The architecture of tions of land acquired by the D.O.T. for the housing still reflects its 19th access roads to and from Routes 80 and century origins. A twofold research 20 into the city. The property most project was thus begun--one that would specifically dealt with included 25 by generally recreate the Dublin worker's 25- ft. lots behind the ten house-lots district as well as closely examine the on Mill Street between Slater Street and structures on the ten house-lots under Route 80. The houses on two adjoining study, charting deed ownership, occupa streets to the east, Jersey and Pine tional trends, and census data, and lead Streets, had been bought by the State and ing eventually to the study of the social demolished for the highway access before and physical mobility of these families. Wilson's study commenced. This left the Some preliminary findings on these topics ten house-lots on Mill Street exposed, are reported here. cutting lot size from 25 by 100 ft. to It is our anticipation that a study of 25 by 75 ft. (See Fig. 4-3.) the Irish migration into Paterson, par Archeological survey of the area pur ticularly in the Dublin area, will corre 44 chased for highway access revealed 19th- late with industrial growth in the city during the 19t h century, especially through the city, following the trans- 45 within the locomotive works. The impact portation corridor along the base of Gar- of this ready supply of manpower, examined ret Mountain (Archdeacon 1853: 8). This both economically and culturally, would produced two factors conducive to in- complete the story emerging from excava creased industrialization in t he city: tions in the Historic District at the a means of receiving raw materials and Grant and Rogers locomotive works (see exporting finished products; and a new Article 1). A brief sketch of Paterson' s source of labor in the unskilled Irish industrial beginnings points out the im canal workmen who remained and settled portance of such an available work force. there (Diocese of Paterson 1963: 18). A third factor was the i nf lux of ambitious HISTORICAL BACKGROUND young semiskilled men, like Thomas Rogers of Groton, Conn. (later founder of Rogers Paterson' s industrial history began in Locomotive and Machine Company), who wi tli 1792 with t he inception of the Society t heir natural ability and acquired skill, for the Establishment of Usefull 1funufac developed into a new manufacturing elite tures (S.U.M. ), which planned to utilize (Trumbull 1882: 111). t he t r emendous power source of the Passaic In 1839, Michael Chevalier, a French Falls by channeling water from the Passaic man traveling across the United States, River through raceways to industrial quoted an American writer who depicted s i tes. It was for this purpose that the the character of Americans of the time: Society purchased 700 acr es of land above and below the Falls for ~329s 8s. 3d. We are born i n haste, ••• finish our (approximat ely $30,000 or $40/acre) from education on the run, ••• marry on its Dutch owners (SHriner 1890: 53- 53 ). the wing, • •• make a fortune at a According to 19th-century historian W. stroke and lose it in t he same manner, Woodford Clayton, the S.U.M. purchase to make and lose i t again ten times included"··· all the land south of the over, in the twinkling of an eye. Our river west of Prospect Street and nor t h body is like a l ocomotive, going at of Slater Street, to a line some di stance the rate of 25 mil es an hour, our soul, west of the r ocks; ••• on Market Street a high pressure engine; our life like between Main and Madison Avenue, and a shooting star and death overtakes us south to Slater Street; ••• " (Clayton at last like a flash of lightning. and Nelson 1882 : 406). (Chevalier 1839: 286) But the l and, the power, and the pos s ibilit y of a product still needed an Paterson, and well the whole of 19th ingredient--people. To man the early tex cent ury industrial America, might easily tile mills, S.U.M. directors first sought be characterized i n much the same way. skilled native workmen. Finding none, As the first planned industrial city in they imported workers from England, Scot the United States, Paterson became a hub land, Irel and, and other European coun of activity--in building, engineering, and tries (Clayton and Nelson 1882: 406). people. I ts fortune was made and lost This early experiment into industrial numerous t imes, in cotton textiles, in ization seemed plagued with problems, locomotive building, and in silk manufac however, and resulted in t he decision to t uring. The pressure of its economi cal " ••• abandon the manufacture and dis engine fluctuated with the times and charge their workmen ••. " by 1796 (Arch continues to do so today. What Chevalier deacon 1853: 3). The endeavor was labeled recorded in 1839 was the strongest vib premature since there was neither indus rating fiber of the new industrial nation: trial experience within the country nor the people, who with their skill, labor, any preparation for the exportation of and i ngenuity sought a new world and trade . Not least among the r easons for built it in these new industrial cities. failure were "the large sums wasted by By 1850, the three compani es that the engineer" (Pierre L'Enfant) and the would become Paterson's 19th-century lo fact that "the machinists and manufac comotive industry were already producing turers imported were presumptious and an annual product in locomotive machinery ignorant of many branches of business worth $850,000 and employing a total of they engaged to conduct ••• " (Archdeacon 1001 hands (United States Census of Man 1853: 3 ). ufaatures 1850). With the problems that Despite this initial setback, S.U.M. had plagued the earlier S.U.M. attempts continued to lease land and water rights surmounted, the city began a period of to manufacturers through the beginni ng of industrial growth and prosperity which the 19th century. By 1829, the Morris would last until the end of the silk er a Canal had been opened for navigation in 1919 (Garber 1968: 276). Thus it was 46 with good reason that the merchants of A breakdown of population or ethnic the city boasted of its advantages: statistics within the Dublin area becomes impossible after 1867, In that year, The advantages which Paterson pos Paterson was redivided into five wards sesses for a ~ufacturing town are with portions of Dublin being included obvious. An abundant and steady sup in four (Charter, Supplement, ••• 1867: ply of water--a healthy, pleasant and 2, 3). In 1872, the city was further fruitful country supplying its markets divided, this time into eight wards, with fully with excellent meats and vege Dublin being nearly equally divided be tables-- its proximity to New York, tween the fifth, sixth, seventh, and where it obtains the raw materials eighth wards (Charter of the City of and sale for manufactured goods and Paterson 1872: 5, 6, 7; Atlas of Passaia with which it is connected by the County, New Jersey 1877: Wards 7- 8). Paterson and Hudson River Railroad, by Thus, no specific figures exist for the a Plank Road, Morris Canal, and Sloop Dublin area after 1865. A survey of 100 Navigation, rendering it one of the houses in the Dublin neighborhood between most desirable sites in the Union. 1860 and 1880, which is still now in· its (Archdeacon 1853: 5) early research stages, may well provide some interesting statistical information POPULATION EXPANSION for this period, The resulting growth of manufacture in the Between 1880 and 1890, Paterson's pop city, paralleling economic depression and ulation increased from 51 ,031 to 78,347; famine across the Atlantic, led to tremen by the turn of the century this figure dous bursts in immigration, By 1850 Pat rose to 105,171 (Passaic County Planning erson census population figures totaled Board 1964). Of that 1900 population 11,334, one-half the total population total, 36.9% were foreign born--immi within Passaic County at that time. By grants from all over Europe (Abstraat of 1860 the young city (organized in 1851) the TWelfth Census •.• 1902: 104). In had nearly doubled in size, with a pop cluded among the total 38,791 immigrants ulation of 19,588, and it continued to in were 9140 from England, Scotland, and crease with figures reaching 33,579 in Wales; 6714 from Ireland; 6584 from Ger 1870 and 51,031 in 1880 (Passaic County many; 4266 from I tal y; 1672 from Russia; Planning Board 1964). and fewer amounts from Austria, Hungary, In breaking down those figures for Bohemia, Canada, Polan~ and elsewhere the area including Dublin, we find a to (Abstraat of the TWelfth Census ••• 1902: tal of 4291 people in the 1855 state 107). census abstract of the south ward. Of this number, 2029 were white native born, 2239 white foreign born, and 23 black TEN HOUSE-LOT AREA native born (N.J. Census for 1855: 24). Settlement Patterns. This same kind The south ward abstract for the state of population expansion and migration in census in 1865 shows an increased pop flux became evident in the study of the ulation figure totaling 7841 in the microcosmic ten house-lot study area. Da Dublin area: native-born males and fe ta from the 1850 thru 1880 U.S. censuses males--3157 white and 33 black; foreign were used to reconstruct the number of born males and fernales--3038 white and 1 residents in the study area and their black; and children between 5 and 16 nativity. A number of factors became years of age--1610 white and 2 black evident, substantiating the existence of (N.J. Census for 1865: 57). a dominant Irish community. Settlement It was not until 1870 that a population of the study area began before 1850 and breakdown by nationalities was published, became most intense between 1850 and recording a total population in the city 1870, as Table I shows. Although the of 33,579, with 20,711 native born (this first family to occupy the ten house- included native-born children of foreign lot area was native born in New Jersey, born parents) and a foreign-born popula immigration became evident by 1860 with tion of 12,868, Of the total foreign 38.6% of the residents being foreign born, there were 5124 Irish, 3347 English, born. This figure rose to 40% by 1870. 1429 German, 1360 Hollanders, 879 Scot As the settlement rate of the lots leveled tish, 237 French, 170 Swiss, and 322 be off and the number of families increased, longing to smaller ethnic groups. Thus, the number of New Jersey-born residents the Irish are the dominant foreign-born increased to over 50% in both 1870 and population in the city in 1870 (Clayton 1880 (U.S, Census 1850; 1860; 1870; 1880; and Nelson 1882: 406). see Table I). TABLE I: NATI VITY OF RE SIDENTS IN THE TEN HOUSE-LOT AREA* 47 1880 Resident 1850 1860 1870 Resident's Resident 's Birthplace Resident Resident Resident Resident Father Mother
New Jersey 5 23 47 56 15 22 New York 4 3 4 2 8 Pennsylvania 2 2 5 Massachusetts 1 Ireland 8 23 20 55 44 Scotland 2 3 8 16 13 England 1 3 3 Germany 1 5 2 Bavaria 2 "Foreign" 6 1 1 1 Born in American water 1 *Data are taken from the U.S. censuses of 1850, 1860, 1870, and 1880. To analyze the census data by the table's categories for 1860, it was necessary to compile data also from the New Jersey Census for 1855.
A definite immigration pattern was 1840; Map of Paterson, N.J. 1850; Map of established during the 1860- 80 period, Paterson, New Jersey 1860; see Fig. 5-l). when the majority of the foreign-born Purchase of lots from S.U.M. by indi population was Irish. In 1860, 47% of vidual owners in the study area began the foreign- born population and 13.6% Nhen George Glass bought the corner lot of the total population were born in at Mill and Slater Streets (Map of Pat Ireland. With increased settlement, erson, N.J. 1850). According to an 1849 this figure rose also, so that 71.8% deed, the transfer of a 50 by 100-ft. of the foreign born and 27% of the total lot was made bet ween George Glass and population in 1870 were Irish. By 1880, the S.U.M. for the consideration of a leveling off occurred in both settle $1000 (Passaic County Deeds Book N: 559). ment and immi gration into the study area, Census data for 1850 reveal Glass to which was r ef lected in the 60.6% figure be atypical of those studied for several of Irish-born imrnigrants- -21% of the reasons, however. First, he was native total population. The influence of born in New Jersey, whereas all other Irish immigration into the area is still initial purchasers were foreign born. evident, however, in the 1880 census Second, Glass was a mason and his neigh figures, with parentage nativity from bors were mostly unskilled laborers. Ireland equaling 52%. Finally, his house- lot was twice the As Paterson' s population continued size of his neighbor's 25 by 100- ft. nearly to double with each decade, the lots, and his personal and real property, number of dwelling houses rose to meet totaling $2200 in 1860, was considerably the demand for living space. Settle- more than that of his fellow householders ment increased from 10 houses at the time (u.s. Census 1860: 61). of the S.U.M. initial purchase of land in Settlement had seriously begun in this 1792 to 74 houses by 1815 (Dickerson 1856). study area by 1860, by which time seven According to Reverend Fisher, in 1832 lots had been purchased and a total of . there were 839 dwelling houses in the seven houses had appeared (Map of Pater } then township; Mill Street itself had son, New Jersey 1860). The initial pur 22 {Fisher 1832: cxlvi). The 1840, 1850, chasers included the Trustees of the First and 1860 city maps show that these prop Presbyterian Society in 1852, and f our erty lots developed first in the immediate Irish unskilled laborers and their fam area surrounding the industrial district ilies: Thomas White and Daniel Burchell and then fanned southward towar d Garret in 1853, Lewis Decker in 1854, and MOuntain and eastward toward Main Street Richard White in 1858 (Passaic County (Map of the Town of Paterson, New Jersey Deeds Book R: 578; Book T: 1; Book W: 48
Figure 5-1. This aa. 1860 photograph looks north down Spruce, Pine, and Jersey Streets toward the growing industrial district. Housing developing immediately adjacent to the mill area became part of the neighborhood still known today as Dublin. (Courtesy of G.F.D. and the Paterson MUseum.)
346; Book V: 590; Book D-2: 461). One (Passaic County Deeds Book Z: 565; Book house had been added to the northwest D-3: 328). In a deed of the same date, section of the Glass lot, which five Devlin sold one lot to Peter Kelly years later (1865) was subdivided and (Passaic County Deeds Book Z-3: 415). sold to John Dawson (Passaic County Deeds Later additions to the larger Glass Book S-12: 168). By 1870 the three re property occurred in the construction of maining lots had been sold to two more two additional houses, the first evident Irishmen: Michael Smith in 1866, and in the 1877 Atlas of Passaic County, New two lots to Francis Devlin in 1867 Jersey and the second appearing in the
Figure 5-2, Settlement of the ten house-lots reached its peak by 1884, as shown here in a blown-up section of the Atlas of the City of Paterson, N.J. for that year. Only one struc ture, 200 Mill Street, was radically altered after this date . Other houses underwent fa cade alterations and the additions of back sheds.
Jersey St.
_____.N
[;:;:;:;:;} Excavated area ~ Study houses
Mill St. 1884 Atlas of the City of Paterson, N.J. , TABLE II: HOUSEHOLD STRUCTURE IN directly on the corner of Slater and Mill THE TEN HOUSE-LOT AREA* Streets. A house built on the last lot purchased (by Francis Devlin at 202 Mill 1850 1860 1870 1880 Street) also appears in the 1884 Atlas, 2+ 7 10 ll establishing that date as the cutoff for Nwriber of Households settlement of the ten lots (see Fig. 5-2). Category per Household: Family Structures and