Lambert Castle Opens to Public After $21M Restoration

Lambert Castle opened on Saturday, Feb. 28. The three-year, $21 million restoration saved the old building and added ways for everyone to get inside. Free entry was available all weekend.

The Passaic County site opened its doors from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, letting people walk through rooms that show what life looked like in the late 1800s. Each space tells a different story.

"For about the last three years, we've been going through a restoration that is designed to restore the historic elements. To use the most modern science to find things like what the paint actually looked like back when the Lambert family lived here," said John Bartlett, a Passaic County commissioner, to News 12 New Jersey.

Silk manufacturer Catholina Lambert constructed the mansion in 1892, naming it "Bella Vista." The structure stood on a hill overlooking Paterson, giving Lambert views of the city where he made his fortune.

Workers fixed crumbling walls, brought back original colors, and installed ramps and elevators during the project. County leaders wanted to keep the old look while letting modern visitors move through every room.

The three-story mansion now holds artwork, old photographs, and artifacts from the county's history. Visitors can see where the Lambert family ate dinner, slept, and entertained guests over a hundred years ago. Some rooms have furniture from that time.

"Lambert Castle is a chance to step into the past, to feel what it was like when Paterson was America's Silk City," Bartlett said. "And to think about the stories that brought us to where we are here today."

Passaic County has protected this landmark for decades. Three years ago, officials started the restoration when inspectors found cracks in the foundation and water damage throughout the building.

More information on visiting can be found at seepassaiccounty.org.