Berlin, New York
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Berlin is a
town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...
in
Rensselaer County Rensselaer County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 161,130. Its county seat is Troy. The county is named in honor of the family of Kiliaen van Rensselaer, the original Dutch owner of the ...
,
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...
, United States. The population was 1,880 at the 2010 census. The town is named after
Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...
in
Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
, although natives pronounce the name differently, with the accent on the first syllable. The town of Berlin is located on the eastern border of the county and is often pronounced with an emphasis on the first half of the name.


History

The town was first settled ''circa'' 1765. It was named a town in 1806 and formed from the town of Petersburgh, one of the many
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...
towns with a German name. On July 25, 1962 Berlin was a site to the 1962 Berlin Explosion, Where a Semi-Truck full of 7000 gallons of propane crashed and blew up in the town killing 10 including the truck driver.


Geography

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 town has a total area of , of which is land and (0.45%) is water. The highest point is
Berlin Mountain Berlin Mountain is a prominent peak in the Taconic Mountains of western New England and is located adjacent to Massachusetts's border with New York State. It is the highest point in Rensselaer County. The summit and west side of the mountain are ...
, 2,818 feet (859 m) above sea level, near the
Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...
border in the
Taconic Mountains The Taconic Mountains or Taconic Range () are a range of the Appalachian Mountains, running along the eastern border of New York State and adjacent New England from northwest Connecticut to western Massachusetts, north to central western Vermont. ...
. The Taconic Mountains form a barrier in the eastern part of the town so that no existing road connects the town to Massachusetts. The western portion of the town is part of the
Rensselaer Plateau The Rensselaer Plateau is a small plateau located in the central portion of Rensselaer County, New York; it generally encompasses significant parts of the towns of Berlin, Stephentown, Sand Lake, Poestenkill, and Grafton, along with small secti ...
. The eastern town line is the border of Massachusetts. Berlin is home to the source of the
Poesten Kill The Poesten Kill is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed October 3, 2011 creek in upstate New York located entirely in Rensselaer County, which flows westerly from its sourc ...
, which begins at
Dyken Pond Dyken Pond is a lake in the towns of Grafton and Berlin in Rensselaer County, New York. The pond gets water primarily from precipitation and outflows westward into the Poesten Kill, a tributary of the Hudson River. It is located in northwest Berl ...
, in the northwestern corner of the town.


Adjacent towns and areas

The Town of Stephentown is to the south, and the Town of Petersburgh lies to the north. The Town of Sand Lake, and the Town of
Poestenkill Poestenkill is a town in Rensselaer County, New York, United States. The population was 4,530 at the 2010 census. The town is southeast of Troy and is centrally located in the county. The town is named after the Poesten Kill, an important stream ...
are at the western town line, and the Towns of Williamstown and Hancock in Berkshire County, Massachusetts are on the eastern border.


Economy

Going back in time, Berlin had its economic roots as a center for dairy farming, however many of the farms have been subdivided in the last decades of the 20th century. The town now serves primarily as a bedroom community for the Albany, NY capital district, but retains some notable industries. Like many small communities, Berlin has relied on one or two key employers for economic growth. These have primarily included W.J. Cowee, LLC, a manufacturer of wood products, and the Henry J. Seagroatt Co., a producer and distributor of flowers and supplies. In neighboring Petersburgh, NY, the high tech industry is represented by Taconic, a worldwide manufacturer of PTFE and dielectric materials.


Demographics

As of the
census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
of 2000, there were 1,901 people, 729 households, and 500 families residing in the town. The
population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...
was . There were 1,034 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 98.42%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 0.05% Native American, 0.32% from
other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 1.10% from two or more races.
Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or
Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...
of any race were 2.00% of the population. There were 729 households, out of which 33.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.9% were
married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.4% were non-families. 23.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.11. In the town, the population was spread out, with 27.9% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 28.9% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.6 males. The median income for a household in the town was $34,875, and the median income for a family was $42,464. Males had a median income of $30,500 versus $26,088 for females. The
per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...
for the town was $17,733. About 9.7% of families and 16.0% 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 19.0% of those under age 18 and 8.4% of those age 65 or over.


Communities and locations in Berlin

*Berlin – The
hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...
of Berlin on NY State Route 22. It was formerly called "North Berlin" after it was settled ''circa'' 1800. *Bucks Corner – A hamlet at the junction of County Routes 40 and 41 in the western part of the town. *Center Berlin – A hamlet south of Berlin village, on NY State Route 22. * Cherry Plain – A hamlet in the southern part of the town on NY State Route 22. * Cherry Plain State Park – A
state park State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the sub-national level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural ...
in the southwestern part of the town. *
Dyken Pond Dyken Pond is a lake in the towns of Grafton and Berlin in Rensselaer County, New York. The pond gets water primarily from precipitation and outflows westward into the Poesten Kill, a tributary of the Hudson River. It is located in northwest Berl ...
– A small lake located in the northwestern part of the town. * Round Pond – A private
pond A pond is an area filled with water, either natural or artificial, that is smaller than a lake. Defining them to be less than in area, less than deep, and with less than 30% emergent vegetation helps in distinguishing their ecology from th ...
in the western part of the town. * Spring Lake – A private
lake A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...
in the western part of the town.


Climate

This
climatic Climate is the long-term weather pattern in an area, typically averaged over 30 years. More rigorously, it is the mean and variability of meteorological variables over a time spanning from months to millions of years. Some of the meteorologic ...
region is typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. According to the
Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
system, Berlin has a
humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freezing ...
, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps.Climate Summary for Berlin, New York
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References


Further reading

* * * *


External links

* http://www.berlin-ny.us/


Berlin Town Court
{{authority control Towns in Rensselaer County, New York