Inside the Abandoned National Silk Dyeing Co.: Paterson, NJ's Forgotten Textile Mill (Photos)

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  The text message from my friend J was simple: a list of addresses in Newark and Paterson. An invitation. An urban treasure map with Xs marking forgotten places. I picked the one on Piercy Street. Pulling up, I saw the building wasn’t exactly hiding. It was a behemoth of brick and colorful lettered graffiti, a whole city block of decay. A door gaped open next to an old loading dock, but the scene gave me pause. Mounds of illegally dumped trash lay along the floor of the loading bay. This part of Paterson has a tough reputation, and the open doors felt less like an invitation and more like a dare. I took a deep breath and stepped inside. The air was thick with the smell of dust and damp. I found myself in a vast, open space littered with plastic containers and skeletal metal shelving. I moved deeper, drawn toward the old boiler house section. Before I reached it, I walked into a room that stopped me cold. Everything was stained a deep, blood red. A fine crimson powder coated the fl...
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Abandoned 705



From commerce to residential.

This commercial building will be no more within 30 days. Come spring the construction phase will have already begun. I investigated this building a good month back to poke around and see if I could get inside before the wrecking ball devoured its walls. On the day in question, due to the proximity of another towering residential complex, people were outside and I didn't want to be greeted by the cherries and berries because I was squeezing my backside through a back window.






So I settled myself with some exterior shots and machinery that would end this commercial property for good. According to its history, this building was purchased in 2013 by a developer for millions of dollars to become the group's new headquarters but upon inspection, revealed many numerous additions that were unsuitable for renovation purposes. Flipping the switch the developer then proposed to the city council to turn it into a residential property complex. After proposing new traffic changes, parking space, and a reduction in residential units the council approved the plan and now the city block where this property sits will feature a new nine-story apartment building.

Location: Underseal until demolition, demolished in 2018

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