Paterson, NJ Historic Preservation: Historic-Cultural Monuments (2026)
Key Facts
- Minimum age to qualify
- 50 years or older
- Recommending body
- Historic Preservation Commission
- Designating body
- Municipal Council, by ordinance
- Registry
- Paterson Register of Municipal Historic Places
- Source vintage
- April 2016 codification, Article III
Summary
Paterson defines any monument, object, building, structure, site, park, or district as a potential 'Historic Site,' eligible for landmark designation once the Historic Preservation Commission and Municipal Council apply the ordinance's 50-year-age and significance criteria.
Historic Site shall mean any real property, building, man-made structure, object, lot, location, park, monument, street, neighborhood, district, or any other feature of the environment that can be situated collectively or individually of historical, archaeological, cultural, scenic or architectural significance.
27. Improvement shall mean any building, structure, work of art or other object installed upon real property or any part of such improvement
28. Local Landmark shall mean the same as Historic Site or Historic District as designated by City Council pursuant to this ordinance or included within the Master Plan Historic Preservation Plan element.
29. Major Work shall mean any external modification of the type that under the Uniform Construction Code (UCC) would require a federal, state or local development approval or permits, or any construction of new "structures" as defined by the UCC. On publicly-owned lands, any work that may not require local development approvals or permits shall be considered as major work if such work on private lands would require a local development approval or permit.
30. Match shall mean either an exact or an approximate replication. If not an exact replication, the approximate replication shall be so designed as to achieve a harmonious result which exhibits the color, texture and dimensions of the original features(s).
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: the cited page had not changed since it was quoted.
Full Breakdown
The City of Paterson's Land Development Ordinance (Chapter 483) defines a protectable 'Historic Site' to include monuments, objects, buildings, structures, parks, streets, and districts of historical, archaeological, cultural, scenic, or architectural significance. Under § 300-13.5, the Historic Preservation Commission recommends and the Municipal Council designates such properties by ordinance once they are at least 50 years old and meet stated significance criteria. Designated monuments join the Paterson Register of Municipal Historic Places, kept by the City Clerk, and become subject to Commission review before alteration. This text sits in Chapter 483's Article III, last confirmed current as of the ordinance's April 2016 codification: verify present status with the City Clerk's office.
Violations & Fines
Altering, moving, or demolishing a designated monument or landmark without required Historic Preservation Commission review violates the ordinance's review requirements; confirm current penalty amounts with the City Clerk's office.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Paterson's historic preservation ordinance cover monuments?
How old must a monument be to get landmark status in Paterson?
Is this section of the ordinance current?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Paterson
Compare Paterson to another location·View the New Jersey historic preservation overview
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