East Berlin dates to 1764, and 37% of its homes were built before 1940
Among the most historic 1% of U.S. towns. What drives it
1 place in town is on the National Register, among them a historic district with 177 buildings. Below: 13 old photos and papers, maps from 1920 on, and the census since 1820.
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1803.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives East Berlin’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, East Berlin is among the most historic 1% of U.S. towns. All 3 inputs put East Berlin near the top nationally; its age ranks highest.
A+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of East Berlin’s overall grade.
Pennsylvania towns list about as much on the Register as the country (a typical Pennsylvania town has 2.1 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so East Berlin’s 1,162 sits above most of its state (97% of Pennsylvania towns have fewer) while its 177 historic buildings outnumber those of 92% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1764.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would still be A+. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±6.9 points).
Founding year: Wikidata (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 →
What stands out about East Berlin’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
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. Following the 1736 signing of a treaty in Philadelphia between Thomas Penn and members of the Six Nations, many settlers began safely moving to the area.
Passages that mention East Berlin, cut from the printed page as they were published.
history of adams county pennsylvania.1886 · page 223Read the page →
Read the text
on the road from Gettysburg to Newville, for $1,390. In 1857 Jonas Rouanzahn erected a wooden bridge across the Conowago on the Arendtsville and Bell’s Mill road, for $1,120. In 1860 J. M. Pittenturf built a covered bridge »ver Opossum Creek, on the Arendtsville and East Berlin road, for $1, 100. n 1867 Henry Chritzmanu erected a covered wooden bridge over Opossum Creek at Bricker’s mill for $1,798. In 1869 Samuel Stouffer erected a wooden bridge over the Conowago at Weirman’s mill, on the Arendtsville and Biglerville road, for $1,030.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
history of adams county pennsylvania.1886 · page 307Read the page →
Read the text
Jacob Cook, the original owner of the Dr. Mumma farm at Bendersville, was a cabinet-maker. About 1813 he moved to East Berlin, where he kept a tavern, and in 1814 became associated with the robbers, Lewis Connelly, Parkhurst and Howard. David Warren, the saw-miller of Mountain Creek, made this discovery some weeks after his first acquaintance with Cook. It appears that Warren called his brothers, Mdward and Isaac, and John Balsley to explore the neighborhood of Tumbling Run, in search of the robber’s den; but they failed to find it; six woeks after this, Isaac Warren discovered the cabin near
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.
On the map
East Berlin on the map, 1920 to 1999
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of East Berlin. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1920Hanover sheet · 1:62,500
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of East Berlin.
Then & now
Stand where they stood
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.
Retake this view1940 Census Enumeration District Descriptions - Pennsylvania - Adams County - ED 1-8, ED 1-9, ED 1-10, ED 1-11, ED 1-12…, 1850
Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on East Berlin’s page.
In 1764, according to Wikidata. East Berlin’s post office opened in 1803, and the census of 1820 counted 418 people here.
How does East Berlin rank for history?
East Berlin is among the most historic 1% 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.
What is on the National Register in East Berlin?
One place: the East Berlin Historic District (listed 1985).
How old are the homes in East Berlin?
37% of East Berlin’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±6.9 points), against a typical 18% for a Pennsylvania town; the median home was built in 1955.
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), the National Register of Historic Places (1), 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 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.
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