Berlin, Holmes County, Ohio

Berlin, Ohio
census-designated place

Location of Berlin, Ohio
Coordinates: 40°33′40″N 81°47′40″W / 40.56111°N 81.79444°W / 40.56111; -81.79444Coordinates: 40°33′40″N 81°47′40″W / 40.56111°N 81.79444°W / 40.56111; -81.79444
Country United States
State Ohio
County Holmes
Township Berlin
Time zone Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
 • Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP codes 44610
Downtown Berlin
Berlin circa 1909

Berlin is a census-designated place located in central Berlin Township, Holmes County, Ohio, United States.[1] It is situated at the junction of U.S. Route 62 and State Route 39.

It is located at latitude 40° 33' 40" north and longitude 81° 47' 40" west. The ZIP code is 44610 and the FIPS place code is 05816. The elevation is 1260 feet above sea level.

History

The village of Berlin - the oldest existing village in Holmes County - was first planned on July 2, 1816, by John Swigert, a native of Berlin, Germany. Swigert's plan provided for 108 lots to be arrayed along two streets, one north-south and the other, east-west. Another early settler, Joseph Troyer, hailed from Berlin, Pennsylvania and together Swigert and Troyer bestowed upon the new settlement the shared name of their respective home towns. Berlin is located at a high point in Holmes County and local legend holds that Swigert chose the site because, thus situated, the town could be more readily defended against Indian attack.

Most early settlers of the Berlin area were of German or Swiss ancestry and came to Ohio via Pennsylvania.

In 1818, a school was established in Berlin and in 1822 a post office.[2] These were soon followed by Methodist, Presbyterian, Baptist and Mennonite churches. Later, Amish settlers began to arrive. Berlin enjoyed commercial and industrial growth, and during the 19th century was home to machine shops, a foundry, blacksmith shops, a hat factory, hotels, an auction house and a variety of retail establishments.[3] Berlin was described in 1833 as having 21 residential houses, two stores, two taverns and a physician.[4]

Today, Berlin is in the heart of Ohio's largest Amish community. Ohio has about 56,000 Amish residents, an increase of 60 percent since 1992.[5]

Notable people

See also

References

  1. ↑ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Berlin, Holmes County, Ohio
  2. ↑ Gallagher, John S. and Patera, Alan H. The Post Offices of Ohio. The Depot, 1979, p. 129.
  3. ↑ "Area History". Berlin Village Info. Berlin Main Street Merchants. Retrieved 2011-10-07.
  4. ↑ Kilbourn, John (1833). The Ohio Gazetteer, Or a Topographical Dictionary. Scott and Wright. p. 93. Retrieved 12 December 2013.
  5. ↑ Zachariah, Holly; Josh Jarman (23 August 2008). "Amish Population is Growing, Shifting". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved 2008-10-25.
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