East Berlin

History

Prior to the arrival of European settlers, the area in what would become East Berlin was inhabited by the Susquehannock Native Americans. As early as 1734, German, Irish, Dutch, and Quaker settlers began occupying land in what would later become Adams County. He divided it into eighty-five lots with streets and alleys and named it "Berlin" after Berlin, Germany, then the capital of the Kingdom of Prussia, his native country. Subsequently, confusion with another community in Pennsylvania led to altering the name to "East Berlin." By 1797, under the new owner John Hildebrand, East Berlin had approximately one hundred houses. When York County was divided in 1800, East Berlin became part of the newly created Adams County. For much of its early history, East Berlin was not legally a borough with its own municipal government, but a part of neighboring Hamilton Township; on November 10, 1879, after town residents petitioned the Court of Adams County, 407 acres of land around the community were officially designated as the borough of East Berlin. In 1921, power lines were constructed in East Berlin, as well as neighboring Abbottstown. 1933 marked the first year that natural gas piping was operational in the town. In the 1950s, the East Berlin Municipal Authority was created, which began to construct a sewage and water treatment facility. Despite some cave-ins during construction of the lines, no major injuries were sustained during its difficult construction, and the project was completed in February 1957. The East Berlin Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.

Geography

East Berlin is located at (39.937890, -76.980942). According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of , all land. East Berlin is at the junction of State highways 194 and 234.

Race & ethnicity

Largest nearby schools

• New Oxford SHS
  High · New Oxford · 1,249 students · 14.5:1 ratio
• Conewago Valley Intrmd Sch
  Middle · New Oxford · 850 students · 15.5:1 ratio
• Bermudian Springs El Sch
  Elementary · York Springs · 612 students · 15.3:1 ratio
• New Oxford MS
  Middle · New Oxford · 601 students · 15.4:1 ratio
• Bermudian Springs HS
  High · York Springs · 591 students · 14.4:1 ratio
• New Oxford El Sch
  Elementary · New Oxford · 563 students · 14.4:1 ratio
• Bermudian Springs MS
  Middle · York Springs · 548 students · 12.5:1 ratio
• Conewago Twp El Sch
  Elementary · Hanover · 481 students · 13.4:1 ratio