Berlin

History

The town of Berlin lies over land that was originally the Burley Plantation, patented by William Tomkins in 1677. With the development of ancient Native American migratory and hunting trails into colonial highways, the Burley Plantation became a crossroads of a post road leading to Philadelphia (today's Main Street) and the Sinepuxent Road. Berlin developed in the early-19th century at this crossroads, where a tavern, blacksmith shop, and livery were among the first established businesses in the new town. Regional tradition asserts that the pronunciation of the town's name, "Burl'in" with emphasis on the first syllable, stems from the "Burley Inn", the early tavern that stood at the crossroads of the Philadelphia Post and Sinepuxent Roads. Soon after the Civil War, Berlin was incorporated as a town in 1868 and a period of significant growth ensued. Within the next decade, the arrival of the Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia Railroad made Berlin into a commercial center for upper Worcester County. After a fire in 1895 leveled a significant portion of the central commercial district, Victorian structures displaying elements of Queen Anne, Italianate, and Second Empire styles were erected along Main Street. The rise of nearby Ocean City as a tourist destination in the early-twentieth century also aided Berlin's economy by making the town a convenient rest stop. Just to the north of the town center of Berlin is Ocean Pines, Maryland, a waterfront census-designated place (CDP) that shares the same ZIP code as Berlin. Since the late 1980s, the town has undergone considerable revitalization of its historic downtown commercial district and adjacent residential areas. Berlin's historic residential areas feature nearly two centuries of architectural heritage from three…

Geography

Berlin is located at 38°20'N 75°13'W (38.3311,-75.2140). According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all land.

Race & ethnicity

Largest nearby schools

• Stephen Decatur High
  High · Berlin · 1,431 students · 16.4:1 ratio
• Stephen Decatur Middle
  Middle · Berlin · 697 students · 12.2:1 ratio
• Berlin Intermediate
  Middle · Berlin · 640 students · 12.5:1 ratio
• Showell Elementary
  Elementary · Berlin · 621 students · 12.2:1 ratio
• Ocean City Elementary
  Elementary · Ocean City · 521 students · 10.9:1 ratio
• Buckingham Elementary
  Elementary · Berlin · 515 students · 11.4:1 ratio