I'm Darley Newman, and this leg of Travels with Darley's Revolutionary Road Trip through New Jersey took me close to New York City — through Paterson, Wayne, Hawthorne, Ringwood, and Clifton — meeting local experts who shared this area's ties to the American Revolution and beyond. Passaic County is where Alexander Hamilton's Revolutionary-era vision for American industry actually got built, where George Washington headquartered for a critical stretch of 1780, and where a National Historic Landmark holds one of the most important stories in Black baseball history. If you're an American Revolution traveler planning a New Jersey road trip, this county packs an unusual amount of range into one stop.

Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park

Park Ranger Emma St. John met me at the falls that gave Paterson its start. "We're definitely a hidden gem," she told me — even people who grew up a couple of miles away often have never visited. The waterfall's history dates back to the Lenape people, and later became the heart of the first planned industrial city in the United States when Alexander Hamilton founded Paterson in 1792. Hamilton saw the raw power of the river and engineered a raceway system to mechanically drive the city's machinery — the reason Paterson exists at all. General Washington and his men are known to have picnicked at the falls in 1778; whether Hamilton himself was there that day is debated, but the story goes that he was already imagining the raceway system he'd build years later.

Hinchliffe Stadium

Inside the same national park boundary sits Hinchliffe Stadium — the only baseball stadium in the country located within a National Park. Built in 1932, closed in 1996, and reopened in 2023, it's one of only two surviving stadiums where Negro Leagues teams played, home to the New York Black Yankees. Museum Director Jessica Bush connected the dots for me between the Revolution's founding ideal that "all men are created equal" and the site's civil rights history. Larry Doby Jr. met me inside to talk about his father, Larry Doby — the second Black player to break Major League Baseball's color barrier after Jackie Robinson, and a Paterson native. "Paterson is special because they never forgot him, and he never forgot Paterson," Doby Jr. told me.

Dey Mansion — Wayne, NJ

After the brutal winter of 1779-80 in Morristown, Washington moved his headquarters to Dey Mansion for the summer and fall of 1780. Guide Kelly McManus showed me the aides-de-camp room where six aides, including Alexander Hamilton, worked and slept on foldout beds surrounded by paperwork. It was here Washington had to decide which of his senior officers he could still trust in the aftermath of Benedict Arnold's betrayal at West Point — and where he waited on the arrival of Rochambeau's French troops. McManus was also candid about the household's enslaved servants, who would have handled tasks like stoking fires and preparing bedrooms — a part of the history the site doesn't shy away from. Preservationist John Bartlett showed me the mansion's gardens, originally designed by Frederick Law Olmsted (the same landscape architect behind New York's Central Park) and restored as the final phase of a decade-long preservation project.

Garret Mountain

Guide Kelly Raffel led me on horseback through Garret Mountain, a National Natural Landmark that was strategically important during Washington's stay at Dey Mansion — soldiers were stationed here in October 1780 to watch the British and relay intelligence back to headquarters. At the top, Lambert Tower offers views of the Manhattan skyline; built in 1896, it was later used by the U.S. Army as a watch point during World War II, thanks to Paterson's nearby Wright Aeronautical aircraft engine plant.

History, Food & Culture Beyond the Battlefield

A Revolutionary road trip through Passaic County comes with its own stops for food, drink, and a few more stories from the 1700s.

Bottagra Restaurant & Bar — Hawthorne, NJ

Known as the oldest building in Hawthorne, Bottagra's original structure dates to the 1700s and once housed the infantry of General Lafayette. Owner Robert Purisima showed me the original windows and doorway still standing in the main dining room. Don't skip the signature Spaghetti Bottagra — tuna bottarga, sundried tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, and toasted breadcrumbs.

Goffle Brook Park

A short walk from Bottagra, Goffle Brook Park marks the site of Lafayette's troop encampment in 1780, while Washington himself was headquartered at nearby Dey Mansion.

The Barrow House — Clifton, NJ

Owner Dean Maroulakos turned a colonial-era farmhouse into a cocktail bar built around the property's history, with rooms designed to reflect different eras of colonial life — from Settler's Hall to a Victorian-style parlor. "It was a labor of love," Maroulakos told me, right down to the reproduction wallpaper patterns.

Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park-Ranger-Emma-St-John-horizontal.JPG

More Historic Landmarks to Add to Your Itinerary

Ringwood Manor

Sue Shutte guided me through Ringwood Manor, the 51-room country estate of the Cooper and Hewitt families, whose iron business helped fund the property's growth from a ten-room farmhouse. Washington did visit the estate during the Revolutionary War, though the mansion standing today wasn't built until after his lifetime. Inside, a reverse-glass copy of Gilbert Stuart's famous Athenaeum Portrait of Washington uses an optical illusion so that "George" appears to follow you with his eyes around the room.

Long Pond Ironworks — West Milford, NJ

Nearby, Long Pond Ironworks produced iron that armed the Continental Army during the Revolution, and later the War of 1812 and the Civil War. The earliest surviving furnace here dates to 1765 — one of only a handful still standing in the country.

Where to Eat in Passaic County

Sister's Deli, Woodland Park — family-run Italian deli; try The Tattletailer, char-grilled chicken with fresh mozzarella and basil pesto on focaccia
Lakeside Diner, Ringwood — a classic New Jersey diner known for its cheesecake and sizzling Mediterranean Skillet
Westside Grill Diner, Paterson — order the Nutella bacon French toast and a latte with custom foam art

For the full Passaic County restaurant roundup, see the "New Jersey Diners, Delis, and Dynasties" post already live on the blog.

Plan Your Own Revolutionary Road Trip Through Passaic County, NJ

Best for: American Revolution travelers, history and baseball fans, foodies, families
Located: About 20-30 minutes from New York City
Don't miss: Paterson Great Falls, Hinchliffe Stadium, Dey Mansion, and a stop at Bottagra for Spaghetti Bottagra

Frequently Asked Questions

What Revolutionary War sites can you visit in Passaic County, NJ? Passaic County's top Revolutionary War sites include Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park, Dey Mansion in Wayne (George Washington's 1780 headquarters), Garret Mountain, Ringwood Manor, and Long Pond Ironworks, which supplied iron to the Continental Army.
Why did Alexander Hamilton choose Paterson, NJ for America's first industrial city? Hamilton chose the site around the Great Falls because the force of the falling water could be harnessed through a raceway system to mechanically power machinery, making Paterson the location for the Society for Establishing Useful Manufactures and America's first planned industrial city, founded in 1792.
Is Passaic County, NJ a good stop for an American Revolution road trip? Yes. Passaic County combines major Revolutionary War history at Dey Mansion and Paterson Great Falls with unique stops like Hinchliffe Stadium and historic taverns-turned-restaurants, all within about 30 minutes of New York City.

Keep Exploring with Travels with Darley

Looking for more Revolutionary Road Trip inspiration through New Jersey? Check out these related stories:

Want travel tips like these delivered straight to your inbox? Subscribe to the Travels with Darley newsletter, and subscribe to Travels with Darley on YouTubeand iHeartto never miss an episode.

Passaic County, NJ Revolutionary Road Trip: Darley Newman's Guide to Hamilton, Washington & the Great Falls