Hamburg dates to 1787, and 35% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 97% of U.S. towns · #84 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. What drives it
3 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 435 buildings. Below: 17 old photos and papers, maps from 1909 on, and the census since 1800.
Founding year: Wikidata; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year. First post office: 1798.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Hamburg’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Hamburg is more historic than 97% of U.S. towns, #84 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its National Register listings ranks highest and its age lowest.
A+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Hamburg’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 Hamburg’s 981 sits above most of its state (97% of Pennsylvania towns have fewer) while its 437 historic buildings outnumber those of 97% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from A to A+. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±7.5 points). Two sources give 1787.
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 Hamburg’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.
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.
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.
In 1779, Martin Kaercher Jr. received 250 acres (1.0 km2) 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.
Passages that mention Hamburg, cut from the printed page as they were published.
Historical and biographical annals of Berks County, Pennsylvania, embracing a concise history of the county and a genealogical and biographical record of representative families, comp. by Morton L. Montgomery ..1909 · page 30Read the page →
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Hamburg Bridge. — ^During the progress of the "Penn street bridge" at Reading, the subject of a bridge was discussed at Hamburg, and the spirit created thereby was sufficient to result in the passage of an Act of Assembly on March 19, 1816, for its erection, but no practical results flowed from this first effort. Eleven years afterward (April 14, 1827), an Act was passed appropriating $6,000 by
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Historical and biographical annals of Berks County, Pennsylvania, embracing a concise history of the county and a genealogical and biographical record of representative families, comp. by Morton L. Montgomery ..1909 · page 40Read the page →
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HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY, PENjNSYLVANIA The Reading & Pottsville Railroad Company was incorporated afterward for operating a railroad from Reading to Pottsville, by way of Hamburg and Port Clinton, and this was constructed during 1884 and 1885, as a continuation of the railroad from Philadelphia to the coal regions. It was opened to Hamburg on Dec. 7, 1885, and in 1886 to
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Berks county in Pennsylvania1886 · page 462Read the page →
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pany was incorporated afterward for the purpose of constructing and operating a railroad from Reading to Pottsville, by way of Hamburg and Port Clinton. This road was constructed by this company during the years 1884 and 1885, as a continuation of the railroad from Philadelphia, by way of Reading, to Pottsville and the coal regions. It was opened to
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History of Berks county in Pennsylvania1886 · page 882Read the page →
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Hamburg Incorporated. — In order to secure better streets and to promote the general welfare of the village, an effort was made to incorporate Hamburg more than fifty years ago. To this end a number of special acts were passed, the first bearing date April 5, 1830. In accordance with one of the provisions of the act, a survey and plat of the town was made September 8, 1830, by Mathias
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.
Timeline
Hamburg, 1787 to 1976
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Fire 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 year, then a sheet.
In 1787, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. Hamburg’s post office opened in 1798, and the census of 1800 counted 329 people here.
How does Hamburg rank for history?
Hamburg is more historic than 97% of U.S. towns, #84 of 1,035 in Pennsylvania. 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 Hamburg?
Three places: the Hamburg Public Library (listed 1988), the Hamburg Armory (1991) and the Hamburg Historic District (2010).
How old are the homes in Hamburg?
35% of Hamburg’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±7.5 points), against a typical 18% for a Pennsylvania town; the median home was built in 1965.
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 (30), the National Register of Historic Places (3), 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.
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