Hamburg

History

In 1779, Martin Kaercher Jr. received of land from his father and divided it into building lots, naming the area "Kaercher Stadt". Hamburg was officially founded in 1787, generally thought to have been named after the "German Hamburg" due to the largely German population of the region. However, Martin Kaerscher Jr.'s father Johann Martin Kaerscher Sr. (1718–1787) emigrated in 1738 from Langenselbold in Hessia (then under Isenburg) which is far from the northern seaport of Hamburg, so it is likely that "Hamburg" is a corruption of Bad Homburg due to the Blue Mountains' very similar appearance to the Taunus mountain range. On July 1, 1798, Hamburg became the second town with postal designation in Berks County, preceded only by Reading. The Centre Turnpike was created in 1812, running between the Reading and Pottsville. Hamburg began to grow rapidly due to the close proximity of a major roadway. Eight years later, the Schuylkill Canal was completed, followed quickly by railroad lines. Both of these advances in infrastructure had stops in Hamburg and helped spur population growth. In 1837, Hamburg was officially organized as a borough. The Hamburg Historic District, Hamburg Armory, and Hamburg Public Library are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Geography

Hamburg is located in northern Berks County at (40.556271, −75.982667), on the east bank of the Schuylkill River. It is bordered on the north, east, and south by Windsor Township and on the west, across the river, by West Hamburg in Tilden Township. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Hamburg has a total area of , of which is land and , or 3.55%, of which is water. The hardiness zone is 6b.

Race & ethnicity

Largest nearby schools

• Schuylkill Valley El Sch
  Elementary · Leesport · 746 students · 14.3:1 ratio
• Hamburg Area HS
  High · Hamburg · 714 students · 14.3:1 ratio
• Schuylkill Valley MS
  Middle · Leesport · 673 students · 16.8:1 ratio
• Schuylkill Valley HS
  High · Leesport · 666 students · 14.5:1 ratio
• Tilden El Center
  Elementary · Hamburg · 566 students · 14.5:1 ratio
• Hamburg Area Middle School
  Middle · Hamburg · 477 students · 13.3:1 ratio
• Perry El Sch
  Elementary · Shoemakersville · 337 students · 12.5:1 ratio
• Andrew Maier El Sch
  Elementary · Blandon · 230 students · 11:1 ratio