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The Great Falls of Paterson
A historical video spotlighting the history of the Great Falls of Paterson, NJ.
- Residents and officials could not recall graffiti ever marring the iconic landmark before, and urged quick removal.
PATERSON — The Great Falls — essentially the iconic symbol of Paterson — has been blemished by someone who sprayed graffiti on the cliff face near the iconic footbridge.
The culprit must have been a daredevil, tagging the volcanic rock with words in white paint about 35 feet above the Passaic River and about 45 feet below the edge of the precipice. People are wondering if the person who sprayed the graffiti climbed up the cliff, or rappelled down it.
“The Great Falls represent Paterson,” said City Council President Alex Mendez. “That’s our landmark. We cannot allow people to tarnish that.” The graffiti “has to be removed as soon as possible.”
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Paterson community leader Michael Symonds said the “Great Falls is more than just a national park.
“It is a national treasure, a powerful symbol, and a catalyst in the rise of the United States as a global economic power,” Symonds asserted. “To deface such a landmark is not a minor offense. It should be regarded with the same gravity as defacing other revered symbols of American heritage, such as the Statue of Liberty, Mount Rushmore, or the Lincoln Memorial.”
Many people learned of the graffiti after Roger Grier, community activist and photographer, posted a photo on his Facebook page Monday afternoon. Grier, who has been in Paterson for decades, said he was stunned because he had never seen graffiti at the Great Falls before.
Former Passaic County Commissioner Theodore “TJ” Best said he noticed the graffiti on April 8, when he took a picture of his children at the waterfall.
“I was disappointed and saddened, but I wasn’t surprised,” Best said. “It’s like a microcosm of the rest of the city, where everything is dirty.”
Mayor Andre Sayegh said city officials are awaiting a permit from the National Park Service to remove the graffiti. Federal park officials said they look forward to working with the city for the safe and quick removal of the graffiti.
Great Falls tourism, investment key to city revitalization
Ever since he took office in 2018, Sayegh has asserted that tourism and investments around the Great Falls will spur Paterson’s revitalization.
Sayegh on Tuesday morning held an “Earth Day” press conference about community cleanup efforts in Paterson’s downtown business district. The mayor told Paterson Press he also signed a pledge to address “the litter, illegal dumping, and graffiti” that plague Paterson.
David Soo, who years ago formed the Friends of the Great Falls group, called the graffiti “an unfortunate reality in an urban center.”
“I would rather not see graffiti on the cliff face,” said Soo, who lives less than 100 yards from the Passaic River near the Great Falls. “But frankly, I’m more concerned about the shootings in my neighborhood around the Great Falls, then I am about the graffiti.”
Bob Guarasci, head of the New Jersey Community Development Corporation nonprofit group located two blocks from the Great Falls, said he never saw graffiti on the cliff face before.
“I hope they can remove it quickly and it’s only a one-time thing,” Guarasci said.
Symonds said whoever vandalized the Great Falls must be held accountable.
“This site deserves our respect, our protection, and the full force of justice when it is violated,” Symonds said.
(This story was updated to accurately reflect the most current information.)
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