Berlin, a borough located approximately 75 miles southeast of Pittsburgh in
Somerset County,
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
, United States. The population was 2,004 at the 2020 census.
It is part of the
Johnstown, Pennsylvania
Johnstown is a city in Cambria County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 18,411 as of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. Located east of Pittsburgh, Johnstown is the principal city of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Metropol ...
Metropolitan Statistical Area
In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally Incorporated town, incorporate ...
.
The town's major celebration each fall concerns the
Whiskey Rebellion
The Whiskey Rebellion (also known as the Whiskey Insurrection) was a violent tax protest in the United States beginning in 1791 and ending in 1794 during the presidency of George Washington. The so-called "whiskey tax" was the first tax impo ...
in the 1790s, although in recent years residents also commemorate the termination of
Flight 93 in nearby
Shanksville
Shanksville is a borough in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. It has a population of 197 as of the 2020 U.S. census. It is part of the Somerset, Pennsylvania Micropolitan Statistical Area and is located southeast of Pittsburgh and west of Philade ...
in 2001. The Berlin Fife and Drum Corps is one of the oldest such bands in North America.
Snyder of Berlin potato chips are made in town, which also hosts
Center Rock, Inc., a drilling-equipment manufacturer. Farming and coal mining have long been important in the area.
It is not near
East Berlin
East Berlin was the ''de facto'' capital city of East Germany from 1949 to 1990. Formally, it was the Allied occupation zones in Germany, Soviet sector of Berlin, established in 1945. The American, British, and French sectors were known as ...
in
Adams County, as well as
New Berlin in
Union County. East Berlin was previously called Berlin but had to have the "East" added to avoid confusion with this Berlin.
History
Immigrants (especially those from Germany) began settling the area before the
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...
, and the surrounding
Brothersvalley Township was incorporated in 1771. Further settlement occurred by Revolutionary War veterans, so the borough was laid out in 1784 and formally incorporated on February 7, 1833.
In June 1794, a riot occurred at the Berlin Schoolhouse during the
Whiskey Rebellion
The Whiskey Rebellion (also known as the Whiskey Insurrection) was a violent tax protest in the United States beginning in 1791 and ending in 1794 during the presidency of George Washington. The so-called "whiskey tax" was the first tax impo ...
. By September, Irish immigrant
Robert Philson
Robert Philson (c. 1759 – July 25, 1831) was an Irish-American soldier and politician.
Philson was born in County Donegal, Ulster, Ireland, and immigrated to Pennsylvania with his uncle John Fletcher. They kept a store in Berlin, Somerset Count ...
raised a
liberty pole
A liberty pole is a wooden pole, or sometimes spear or lance, surmounted by a "cap of liberty", mostly of the Phrygian cap. The symbol originated in the immediate aftermath of the assassination of the Roman dictator Julius Caesar by a group of R ...
at his log store on the square and advised citizens to oppose U.S. laws. Federal troops arrived in October, and the rebellion evaporated, with Philson and itinerant preacher
Herman Husband
Herman Husband (1724–1795), also known as Harmon Husband, was a farmer, radical, pamphleteer, author, and preacher. He is best known as a leader of The Regulators, a populist rebellion in the Carolinas in the years leading up to the American ...
being taken to
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
for trial (where they were acquitted). Governor
Thomas Mifflin
Thomas Mifflin (January 10, 1744January 20, 1800) was an American merchant, soldier, and politician from Pennsylvania, who is regarded as a Founding Father of the United States for his roles during and after the American Revolution. Mifflin wa ...
made his headquarters in Dr. Christian Boerstler's house.
Local attorney
Jeremiah S. Black rose to become Justice of Pennsylvania (1851-1857, serving as Chief Justice from 1851-1853). After election of fellow Pennsylvanian James Buchanan as President of the United States, he began litigating fraudulent land claims in California as
United States Attorney General
The United States attorney general (AG) is the head of the United States Department of Justice, and is the chief law enforcement officer of the federal government of the United States. The attorney general serves as the principal advisor to the p ...
and later served as Secretary of State.
Geography
Berlin is located at ,
about southeast of
Somerset
( en, All The People of Somerset)
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, region = South West England
, established_date = Ancient
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, preceded_by =
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, lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset
, lord_ ...
and about SSW of
Altoona. According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the borough has a total area of , all of it land. Berlin has an elevation of , the second highest, beside only
Seven Springs, in Pennsylvania.
Highest Elevation of Towns in Pennsylvania
/ref>
Demographics
At the 2000 census there were 2,192 people, 881 households, and 577 families residing in the borough. The population density was 2,420.0 people per square mile (930.0/km2). There were 940 housing units at an average density of 1,037.8 per square mile (398.8/km2). The racial makeup
A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...
of the borough was 99.54% White, 0.05% African American, 0.32% Asian, 0.05% from other races, and 0.05% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.18%.
Of the 881 households, 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.8% were married couples living together, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.4% were non-families. 30.9% of households were one person, and 15.0% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.90.
In the borough the population was spread out, with 22.1% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 26.6% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 23.0% 65 or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 83.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.3 males.
The median household income was $29,219 and the median family income was $35,714. Males had a median income of $27,763 versus $20,156 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $15,614. About 5.9% of families and 10.0% of the population were below the poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 6.3% of those under age 18 and 12.5% of those age 65 or over.
See also
*East Berlin, Pennsylvania
East Berlin is a borough in Adams County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,542 at the 2020 census. East Berlin is served by the Bermudian Springs School District.
East Berlin is located in the southern part of Pennsylvania, ad ...
References
External links
{{Authority control
Boroughs in Somerset County, Pennsylvania
Populated places established in 1784
1833 establishments in Pennsylvania