Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
More historic than 75% of U.S. towns. What drives it
Below: maps from 1888 on and the census since 1820.
Berlin dates its founding to 1765 (Wikipedia’s history). The census first counted it in 1820.
More historic than 75% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Berlin is more historic than 75% of U.S. towns. Its age holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.
New York towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical New York town has 12.3 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Berlin’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (10% of New York towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
Founding year: Wikipedia (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Berlin’s post office has been open since 1820. Five other post offices opened and closed inside today’s town.
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Berlin’s history is told.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Berlin. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Berlin.
From Wikipedia’s history of Berlin.
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 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.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Passages that mention Berlin, cut from the printed page as they were published.
me faithfully in this effort. We are in the right path, but we are far from the goal. Let us go forward, then, bravely and hopefully. You think yourselves happy now in Berlin; but I say to you that we dare not remain in Berlin.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
soldier and the little maiden when they fall into the hands of this adversary. Hunger drove the victorious King of Prussia out of Bohemia; hunger made him abandon Silesia and seek refuge in Berlin.* Oh, I assure you, we will soon cease to be Prussians. While King Frederick is refreshing and amusing himself in Berlin, the Austrians have entered Glatz, and bring us greetings from our gracious queen, Maria Theresa."
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
"We have built fifteen churches in Berlin alone since 1890," said William, in the course of a dinner at the Berlin Schloss, some time ago.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Born hereEdward W. Greenman is born here
On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
2021Bonded Concrete (mid-range), New York
2021Bonded Concrete (far-range), New York
2021Berlin, New York Municipal Complex
2021Berlin, New York (welcome sign)
2021Berlin, New York (marker)
2021Berlin Town Hall
2021Berlin Seventh Day Baptist Church
2021Berlin Community Cemetery
2021Berlin Central School District
20212021-09-28 12 58 04 Wetland along Rensselaer County R…
20202020-10-17 12 29 08 Rock used as a sign to mark Bucks…
20152015-08-20 18 55 36 A Stewart's Shops along New York …
20142014-08-28 12 45 01 Plaque memorializing the first Ba…
20142014-08-28 12 43 26 Hydrangea flowers in the cemetery…
20142014-08-28 12 43 23 Hydrangea flowers in the cemetery…
20142014-08-28 12 42 59 Hydrangea in the cemetery at the …
2009BerlinCentralSchoolDistrictMap
2009Berlin Rensselaer NYFire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a sheet.
1912Sheet 1 of 2Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Between 1,305 and 2,223 people in every census since 1820.
21 censuses, 1820–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Berlin’s Wikipedia page.
Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.
In 1765, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Berlin’s post office opened in 1820, and the census of 1820 counted 1,986 people here.
Berlin is more historic than 75% of U.S. towns. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
27% of Berlin’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±6.4 points), against a typical 27% for a New York town; the median home was built in 1964.
What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (18), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System, Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress) and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
