Passaic County seeks millions more for Lambert Castle work
By: David M. Zimmer
NorthJersey.com
USA Today Network - New Jersey
..... Five months after Lambert Castle reopened to the public, Passaic County is already looking ahead to the next chapter of tis restoration.
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County commissioners this week [08/11/2026] authorized an application for up to $6 million in federal funding. Combined with a requested match, that could bring as much as $12 million more to the historic Paterson landmark. The money would support additional restoration work, accessibility upgrades and visitor improvements as the county continues its multi-year effort to revive the 134-year-old estate.
..... County commissioners authorized the application August 11. [2026]
The resolution says the money would be sued to improve public access, visitor amenities and outdoor recreation while preserving the property. it does not specify which areas or projects would be included.
..... Commissioners accepted a $2.5 million Green Acres grant in June [2026] for the second phase of the landscape restoration. The county agreed to provide up to $900,000 in matching money if required, records show.
..... At the August 11 [2026] meeting, the board also revised its authorization for a $750,000 New Jersey Historic Trust appellation and committed an equal county match. That grant, if awarded, would pay for work on historic landscape features, paths and other site infrastructure, along with accessibility improvements.
..... In June 2024, commissioners awarded a separate $2.88 million contract for the first phase of the landscape restoration,a pedestrian-connection project between the castle and the carriage house. With later change orders, the contract reached $3.14 million in February 2026.
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The county presented plans for the second phase in January 2025.
.... Michael Hanrahan firm working on the restoration, walked commissions through the proposal.
..... "While the castle looks beautiful, there is still some work to be done," he said.
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Photos shown at the time depicted deteriorating retaining walls, weak railings and uneven steps. The proposal called for resetting the marble terrace on the east side of the castle, installing new court-year pavers and rebuilding historic steps leading into the garden.
..... It also included landscaping and improvements for visitors with disabilities. An initial section was intended to link there Phase I pedestrian-connection project with the castle's north lawn.
..... A separate county concept sheet prepared in 2025 prosed work on the lower patio, plantings around the mansion, a stairway into the garden and the outdoor court. It described the court as "the most popular spot in Passaic County for wedding phosphates and events" and said it had been closed to the public since 2020.
..... The federal money owed come through the National Park Service's Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership program, which pays up to half the cost of eligible park projects in disadvantaged urban communities.
..... The grant is competitive. New Jersey's Green Acres Program reviews local proposals and decides which ones to send to the National Park Service. Selections from the current round are expected around May 1, 2027.
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As of July 2025, Passaic County said about $19.8 million had been spent on the broader multiphase restoration of the Lambert estate, including 414.5 million from grants.
..... Lambert Castle closed in 2020 and reopened to the pubic on February 28. [2026] the sandstone exterior was stabilized, the roof replaced and the interior restored. New mechanical and climate-control systems were installed, and the carriage house was converted into a visitor center, gift shop and headquarters for the county Department of Cultural and Historic Affairs.
..... More than 3,000 people visited during the reopening weekend, county officials said.
.... Silk manufacturer Catholian Lambert completed he mansion in 1892. It has operated as a museum since 1934.