Valley Girl Views: New Berlin, Union County Pennsylvania

The Borough of New Berlin is located in central Pennsylvania on the southern edge of Union County along the north side of Penns Creek. Penns Creek is the dividing lines between Union and Snyder Counties. In 1782, the area along Penns Creek that is today New Berlin was known as Longstown.

Union County was erected from Northumberland County March 22, 1813, with nearby Mifflinburg being made the first county seat. New Berlin became the second seat of the Union County Government. The first Courthouse built specifically for that purpose was completed in 1815. [the county seat was moved to Lewisburg in 1855]

The New Berlin Heritage Association on Facebook

Ripped From The Headlines:
Homer Remmer Of New Berlin, Murdered In Milton

Skating On Penns Creek, With The Covered Bridge In The Background

The New Berlin Covered Bridge

Union Seminary

Ice Harvest on Penns Creek, With The New Berlin Grist Mill in the background

Memorial Day Parade in New Berlin, 1909

EVENTS

New Berlin Gristmill

The three story masonry gristmill in New Berlin was built between 1816 and 1823 by George Orwig and George Eisenhuth. It was later purchased by Solomon Kelckner, whose son Joseph follwed him in the business. In 1918 the mill was converted to the Hartman Power Plant. It was torn down by 1935. The Legion is located in this area today.

Blacksmith & Buggy Shop

In June of 1843, Josiah Schweinhart announced the opening of his new business. Schweinhart and John S. Heimbach made buggies, sulkies and barouches, with an attached blacksmith shop. They were located one door east of Baum's Hotel. Schweinhart later patented for a new single-tree and locking apparatus.

New Berlin Railroad Station

New Berlin Creamery

Frank L. Maurer, owner of the creamery, sold butter, eggs and poultry from a locaiton on Walnut & Market Streets.Charles Oldt collected the milk from local farmers. Maurer also operated a general store at front and Vine Streets. In 1917, the Creamery was purchased by Harry McClow, who ran it until 1924.

New Berlin Churches

Union Hotel, New Berlin

June 17 1920 - Tornado in New Berlin flattened the barn of Christopher Seebold [Crystal Springs Farm]

Auction at New Berlin Heritage Days

New Berlin Band

New Berlin Fire Company

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MAPS
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New Berlin on the 1856 Map Of Union County

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New Berlin Newspapers:

1816 “The Union” (New Berlin)
1834-1835 “Union Annalist” (New Berlin)

1834-1855 “Union Times” (New Berlin)

1835-1837 “Anti-Masonic Star” (New Berlin)

1841 “The Union Star” (New Berlin)

1847 “Good Samaritan” (New Berlin)

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In 1792 George Long, a German from Lancaster County, finally accomplished what colonists had tried to achieve for four decades: a permanent settlement on Penns Creek (the apostrophe was removed by act of legislature in 1802). Longa Stettle (in English, Long's Town) evoked medieval small towns familiar to his German clientele. The town plat laid out by Frederick Evans exhibited intelligence and foresight. A commons on the north side of Penns Creek (now a park) provided pastureland for livestock and insured public access to the river trade on the Susquehanna, while the valley on the south side was available for cultivation. The town's first center consisted of a widening of the two blocks of Old Market Street (now Front Street) between Plum and Union streets. When New Berlin was made the county seat in 1813, the town added a civic center to its commercial one. The courthouse, county offices, and jail were situated one block up the hill on a new Market Street (PA 304), the broad road built across the county by Philadelphian Reuben Haines in 1766. German congregations constructed the red brick Reformed (1825), Lutheran (1868), and Evangelical (1873) churches on the new Market Street between Union and Plum streets. At the east end of the new market square, two blocks were set back for vendors who flocked to the county seat. A mill built in 1816 was refitted to produce electricity in 1918, but there never was any heavy industry in New Berlin. When the county seat relocated to Lewisburg in 1855, the economy suffered a setback but endured and changed very little over the next century. - https://sah-archipedia.org/essays/PA-02-0004-0002-0002