Historic Paterson Building Reimagined As Workforce And Community Hub

We opened our doors to NJ Urban News reporter Sydney Salomon for a look at The Great Falls Center, the 40,000-square-foot former silk mill at 39 McBride Avenue that we're transforming with Dawn Treader Christian School into a hub for trades training, education, and community life in Paterson.

She spent the morning on our first floor, where Workmanship students train in Critical Path Method, welding, automotive, and woodworking. She also toured the upper floors still under construction: the future food hall, the 250-seat auditorium, and the rooftop restaurant overlooking the Falls.

The story traces where this started, with Dawn Treader founder Herbert Van Denend's 1980s woodworking program and the "Silk City Dream" we're building on today. It also follows Arie McCray, who came to us after ten years of warehouse work, graduated from CPM in spring 2025, and now works for an HVAC company. "After Servants Heart and working with a trade company like Reiner, it feels like the sky's the limit."

Since 2019 we've graduated 386 students across Paterson, Haledon, and Franklin. Every course is tuition-free, taught by more than 60 volunteers who work the trades all day and teach at night.

Read the full story at NJ Urban News →

Interested in the trades? See our fall course lineup or learn about The Great Falls Center.