Berlin, New Hampshire
Encyclopedia
Berlin is a city along the Androscoggin River
in Coos County
in northern New Hampshire
, United States
. The population was 10,051 at the 2010 census. It includes the village of Cascade
. Located on the edge of the White Mountains
, the city's boundaries extend into the White Mountain National Forest
. Berlin is home to the Moffett House, Northern Forest Heritage Park, the Berlin Fish Hatchery
, and the White Mountains Community College, a member of the Community College System of New Hampshire
.
Berlin is the principal city of the Berlin Micropolitan Statistical Area
, which includes all of Coos County, New Hampshire and Essex County
, Vermont
.
Around 11,000 years ago, small groups of Native Americans
camped around the area of what is now called Berlin. In later years, the Eastern Abenaki tribes came to Berlin to mine rhyolite
on Mt. Jasper
. When English
settlers came here, Berlin was first granted on December 31, 1771 by Colonial
Governor John Wentworth
, as Maynesborough after Sir William Mayne
. But the grantees did not take up their claims, which disappeared with the Revolution
. In 1802, Seth Eames and Gideon Tirrell were sent by the descendants of Mayne to explore and mark lots for settlers, and still no one came. Instead, Maynesborough was settled in 1823-1824 by William Sessions and his nephew, Cyrus Wheeler. Both men were from Gilead, Maine
. Farming was the first industry. With 65 inhabitants in 1829, the New England town
was reincorporated on July 1 as Berlin with the help of Thomas Wheeler, the father of Cyrus.
Situated in a heavily forested region, the community developed early into a center for logging and wood industries. Falls on the Androscoggin River
provided water power for sawmill
s. In 1826, a road was built to Gorham
by Thomas, Amos, and Daniel Green, and in 1851 the St. Lawrence & Atlantic Railroad entered Berlin. Acquiring water, timber and rail rights in the early 1850s, the H. Winslow & Company built a large sawmill at the head of "Berlin Falls". In 1868, William Wentworth Brown and Lewis T. Brown bought a controlling interest
in the business and changed its name to the Berlin Mills Company. By 1885, the mill town
was home to several lumber, pulp
and paper mill
s, including the Riverside Mill, Forest Fibre Company and White Mountain Pulp & Paper Company. Because of the need for labor, immigrants arrived from Italy
, Norway
, Sweden
, Russia
and Ireland
. Many others were French Canadian
s from nearby Quebec
.
In 1882, a group of Scandinavians
founded the nation's oldest ski
club that still exists today. It was originally called the North American Ski Club (in Norwegian, Skiklubben Nordamerikansk), but later would be renamed the Nansen Ski Club in honor of Fridtjof Nansen
, who in 1888 skied across Greenland
. In 1897, Berlin was incorporated as a city, the northernmost in the state.
Berlin's main industry in the early 1900s was the pulp and paper industries, which have been in a long decline since that time. In 1917, the Berlin Mills Company was renamed the Brown Company
, because of the war against Germany. The Brown Company went into receivership
a short time after the Great Depression
. It survived with governmental help, and was bought and sold several times after World War II
. American Tissue filed for bankruptcy in 2001, before which it had stopped paying city taxes. Its facilities were purchased in 2002 by Fraser Papers
of Canada
. But in March 2006, Fraser Papers announced the closing of Berlin's pulp mill
. On May 6, 2006, 250 employees were displaced, some moving to Cascade
's paper finishing mill, but most were left unemployed. The North American Dismantling Corporation of Michigan
announced on October 3, 2006, that it had bought the 121 acres (49 ha) defunct pulp mill site of Fraser Paper, and would spend a year demolishing the property to allow redevelopment. Laidlaw Energy LLC has since purchased a portion of the former Fraser property, including a large recovery boiler which it intends to convert into a 66 megawatt biomass
plant in 2010-2011.
Recent economic development has focused on the correctional industry, with the 750 bed Northern New Hampshire Correctional Facility built in 1999 and employing approximately 200 people. In fall 2010 the Federal Bureau of Prisons plans on opening a 1200 bed medium security facility which will employ approximately 350 people.
Berlin is located in northern New Hampshire, north of the White Mountains
. The city is bordered to the south by Randolph
and Gorham
, north by Milan
, east by Success
and west by Kilkenny
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 62.5 square miles (161.9 km²), of which 61.6 square miles (159.5 km²) is land and 0.9 square miles (2.3 km²) is water, comprising 1.35% of the town. Berlin is situated at the confluence of the Androscoggin and Dead
rivers. The Mahoosuc Range is to the southeast. Jericho Mountain State Park
, created from a city park and from private land in 2005, is west of the city center and features a reservoir
created in the 1970s and a network of ATV
trails. The city's highest point is Mount Weeks
, at 3901 feet (1,189 m) above sea level
. Approximately half of Berlin lies within the Connecticut River
watershed
, and half lies in the Androscoggin River
watershed.
of 2010, there were 10,051 people residing in the city. The population density
was 160.8 people per square mile (62.1/km²). There were 4,910 housing units at an average density of 78.6 per square mile (30.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.54% White, 0.81% African American, 0.39% Native American, 0.28% Asian, 0% Pacific Islander, 0.22% from other races
, and 1.77% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.51% of the population.
The population of Berlin rose rapidly from 1880 through 1930. The fastest growth more than doubled the population between 1890 and 1900. A slow decline began after 1930, interrupted only by a temporary increase around 1960.
Androscoggin River
The Androscoggin River is a river in the U.S. states of Maine and New Hampshire, in northern New England. It is long and joins the Kennebec River at Merrymeeting Bay in Maine before its water empties into the Gulf of Maine on the Atlantic Ocean. Its drainage basin is in area...
in Coos County
Coos County, New Hampshire
-National protected areas:*Umbagog National Wildlife Refuge *Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge *White Mountain National Forest -Demographics:...
in northern New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 10,051 at the 2010 census. It includes the village of Cascade
Cascade, New Hampshire
Cascade is a village within the town of Gorham and the city of Berlin, New Hampshire. The village gets its name from an alpine waterfall which is visible in the hills to the east....
. Located on the edge of the White Mountains
White Mountains (New Hampshire)
The White Mountains are a mountain range covering about a quarter of the state of New Hampshire and a small portion of western Maine in the United States. Part of the Appalachian Mountains, they are considered the most rugged mountains in New England...
, the city's boundaries extend into the White Mountain National Forest
White Mountain National Forest
The White Mountain National Forest is a federally-managed forest contained within the White Mountains in the northeastern United States. It was established in 1918 as a result of the Weeks Act of 1911; federal acquisition of land had already begun in 1914. It has a total area of...
. Berlin is home to the Moffett House, Northern Forest Heritage Park, the Berlin Fish Hatchery
Hatchery
A hatchery is a facility where eggs are hatched under artificial conditions, especially those of fish or poultry. It may be used for ex-situ conservation purposes, i.e. to breed rare or endangered species under controlled conditions; alternatively, it may be for economic reasons A hatchery is a...
, and the White Mountains Community College, a member of the Community College System of New Hampshire
Community College System of New Hampshire
The Community College System of New Hampshire is an organization of seven public community colleges located throughout New Hampshire. 95% of enrolled students are New Hampshire residents.The colleges offer over 80 associate degree programs...
.
Berlin is the principal city of the Berlin Micropolitan Statistical Area
Berlin micropolitan area
The Berlin Micropolitan Statistical Area is the core based statistical area centered on the urban cluster associated with the city Berlin, New Hampshire in the United States...
, which includes all of Coos County, New Hampshire and Essex County
Essex County, Vermont
Essex County is the county located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Vermont. As of 2010, the population was 6,306, making it the least-populous county in both Vermont and New England...
, Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
.
History
Around 11,000 years ago, small groups of Native Americans
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
camped around the area of what is now called Berlin. In later years, the Eastern Abenaki tribes came to Berlin to mine rhyolite
Rhyolite
This page is about a volcanic rock. For the ghost town see Rhyolite, Nevada, and for the satellite system, see Rhyolite/Aquacade.Rhyolite is an igneous, volcanic rock, of felsic composition . It may have any texture from glassy to aphanitic to porphyritic...
on Mt. Jasper
Mount Jasper Lithic Source
Mt. Jasper Lithic Source is a historic site 1 1/2 miles northwest of the confluence of the Dead River and Androscoggin River in Berlin, New Hampshire.It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1992.-External links:...
. When English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
settlers came here, Berlin was first granted on December 31, 1771 by Colonial
Colony
In politics and history, a colony is a territory under the immediate political control of a state. For colonies in antiquity, city-states would often found their own colonies. Some colonies were historically countries, while others were territories without definite statehood from their inception....
Governor John Wentworth
John Wentworth (governor)
Sir John Wentworth, 1st Baronet was the British colonial governor of New Hampshire at the time of the American Revolution. He was later also Lieutenant-Governor of Nova Scotia.-Early life:...
, as Maynesborough after Sir William Mayne
William Mayne, 1st Baron Newhaven
William Mayne, 1st Baron Newhaven PC , known as Sir William Mayne, Bt, between 1763 and 1776, was a British politician....
. But the grantees did not take up their claims, which disappeared with the Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
. In 1802, Seth Eames and Gideon Tirrell were sent by the descendants of Mayne to explore and mark lots for settlers, and still no one came. Instead, Maynesborough was settled in 1823-1824 by William Sessions and his nephew, Cyrus Wheeler. Both men were from Gilead, Maine
Gilead, Maine
Gilead is a town in Oxford County, Maine, United States. Upon incorporation in 1804, it was named for the large quantity of Balm of Gilead trees in the town center. The population was 156 at the 2000 census.- History :...
. Farming was the first industry. With 65 inhabitants in 1829, the New England town
New England town
The New England town is the basic unit of local government in each of the six New England states. Without a direct counterpart in most other U.S. states, New England towns are conceptually similar to civil townships in other states, but are incorporated, possessing powers like cities in other...
was reincorporated on July 1 as Berlin with the help of Thomas Wheeler, the father of Cyrus.
Situated in a heavily forested region, the community developed early into a center for logging and wood industries. Falls on the Androscoggin River
Androscoggin River
The Androscoggin River is a river in the U.S. states of Maine and New Hampshire, in northern New England. It is long and joins the Kennebec River at Merrymeeting Bay in Maine before its water empties into the Gulf of Maine on the Atlantic Ocean. Its drainage basin is in area...
provided water power for sawmill
Sawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
s. In 1826, a road was built to Gorham
Gorham, New Hampshire
Gorham is a town in Coos County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 2,848 at the 2010 census. Gorham is located in the White Mountains, and parts of the White Mountain National Forest are in the south and northwest. Moose Brook State Park is in the west. The town is crossed by the...
by Thomas, Amos, and Daniel Green, and in 1851 the St. Lawrence & Atlantic Railroad entered Berlin. Acquiring water, timber and rail rights in the early 1850s, the H. Winslow & Company built a large sawmill at the head of "Berlin Falls". In 1868, William Wentworth Brown and Lewis T. Brown bought a controlling interest
Controlling interest
Controlling interest in a corporation means to have control of a large enough block of voting stock shares in a company such that no one stock holder or coalition of stock holders can successfully oppose a motion...
in the business and changed its name to the Berlin Mills Company. By 1885, the mill town
Mill town
A mill town, also known as factory town or mill village, is typically a settlement that developed around one or more mills or factories .- United Kingdom:...
was home to several lumber, pulp
Pulp (paper)
Pulp is a lignocellulosic fibrous material prepared by chemically or mechanically separating cellulose fibres from wood, fibre crops or waste paper. Wood pulp is the most common raw material in papermaking.-History:...
and paper mill
Paper mill
A paper mill is a factory devoted to making paper from vegetable fibres such as wood pulp, old rags and other ingredients using a Fourdrinier machine or other type of paper machine.- History :...
s, including the Riverside Mill, Forest Fibre Company and White Mountain Pulp & Paper Company. Because of the need for labor, immigrants arrived from Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. Many others were French Canadian
French Canadian
French Canadian or Francophone Canadian, , generally refers to the descendents of French colonists who arrived in New France in the 17th and 18th centuries...
s from nearby Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
.
In 1882, a group of Scandinavians
Scandinavians
Scandinavians are a group of Germanic peoples, inhabiting Scandinavia and to a lesser extent countries associated with Scandinavia, and speaking Scandinavian languages. The group includes Danes, Norwegians and Swedes, and additionally the descendants of Scandinavian settlers such as the Icelandic...
founded the nation's oldest ski
Skiing
Skiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....
club that still exists today. It was originally called the North American Ski Club (in Norwegian, Skiklubben Nordamerikansk), but later would be renamed the Nansen Ski Club in honor of Fridtjof Nansen
Fridtjof Nansen
Fridtjof Wedel-Jarlsberg Nansen was a Norwegian explorer, scientist, diplomat, humanitarian and Nobel Peace Prize laureate. In his youth a champion skier and ice skater, he led the team that made the first crossing of the Greenland interior in 1888, and won international fame after reaching a...
, who in 1888 skied across Greenland
Greenland
Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
. In 1897, Berlin was incorporated as a city, the northernmost in the state.
Berlin's main industry in the early 1900s was the pulp and paper industries, which have been in a long decline since that time. In 1917, the Berlin Mills Company was renamed the Brown Company
Brown Company
The Brown Company was a pulp and papermaking company based in Berlin, New Hampshire. They closed their doors after World War II.-History:The company began as a large sawmill at the head of Berlin Falls in 1852 as the H. Winslow Company, then later changed its name to the Berlin Mills Company....
, because of the war against Germany. The Brown Company went into receivership
Receivership
In law, receivership is the situation in which an institution or enterprise is being held by a receiver, a person "placed in the custodial responsibility for the property of others, including tangible and intangible assets and rights." The receivership remedy is an equitable remedy that emerged in...
a short time after the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. It survived with governmental help, and was bought and sold several times after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. American Tissue filed for bankruptcy in 2001, before which it had stopped paying city taxes. Its facilities were purchased in 2002 by Fraser Papers
Fraser Papers
Fraser Papers Inc. is a Toronto, Ontario, Canada-based manufacturer of specialized printing, publishing, and converting papers, with customers in Canada and the US. It manages more than two million acres of forest, operates a tree nursery, and sawmills. It was spun off as a public company in 2004...
of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. But in March 2006, Fraser Papers announced the closing of Berlin's pulp mill
Pulp mill
A pulp mill is a manufacturing facility that converts wood chips or other plant fibre source into a thick fibre board which can be shipped to a paper mill for further processing. Pulp can be manufactured using mechanical, semi-chemical or fully chemical methods...
. On May 6, 2006, 250 employees were displaced, some moving to Cascade
Cascade, New Hampshire
Cascade is a village within the town of Gorham and the city of Berlin, New Hampshire. The village gets its name from an alpine waterfall which is visible in the hills to the east....
's paper finishing mill, but most were left unemployed. The North American Dismantling Corporation of Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
announced on October 3, 2006, that it had bought the 121 acres (49 ha) defunct pulp mill site of Fraser Paper, and would spend a year demolishing the property to allow redevelopment. Laidlaw Energy LLC has since purchased a portion of the former Fraser property, including a large recovery boiler which it intends to convert into a 66 megawatt biomass
Biomass
Biomass, as a renewable energy source, is biological material from living, or recently living organisms. As an energy source, biomass can either be used directly, or converted into other energy products such as biofuel....
plant in 2010-2011.
Recent economic development has focused on the correctional industry, with the 750 bed Northern New Hampshire Correctional Facility built in 1999 and employing approximately 200 people. In fall 2010 the Federal Bureau of Prisons plans on opening a 1200 bed medium security facility which will employ approximately 350 people.
Geography
Berlin is located at 44°28′07"N 71°11′02"W (44.4686, -71.1839).Berlin is located in northern New Hampshire, north of the White Mountains
White Mountains (New Hampshire)
The White Mountains are a mountain range covering about a quarter of the state of New Hampshire and a small portion of western Maine in the United States. Part of the Appalachian Mountains, they are considered the most rugged mountains in New England...
. The city is bordered to the south by Randolph
Randolph, New Hampshire
Randolph is a heavily forested town in Coos County, New Hampshire, U.S., extending from the northern slopes of the White Mountains of the Presidential Range to Berlin , with U.S. Route 2 cutting through the middle...
and Gorham
Gorham, New Hampshire
Gorham is a town in Coos County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 2,848 at the 2010 census. Gorham is located in the White Mountains, and parts of the White Mountain National Forest are in the south and northwest. Moose Brook State Park is in the west. The town is crossed by the...
, north by Milan
Milan, New Hampshire
Milan is a town in Coos County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 1,337 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Berlin, NH–VT Micropolitan Statistical Area....
, east by Success
Success, New Hampshire
Success is an unincorporated township located in Coos County, New Hampshire, USA. It is located directly to the east of the city of Berlin, New Hampshire, and borders on the state of Maine...
and west by Kilkenny
Kilkenny, New Hampshire
Kilkenny is a township located in Coos County, New Hampshire, USA. It was granted on June 4, 1774, containing about . As of the 2010 Census, the township had no inhabitants....
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 62.5 square miles (161.9 km²), of which 61.6 square miles (159.5 km²) is land and 0.9 square miles (2.3 km²) is water, comprising 1.35% of the town. Berlin is situated at the confluence of the Androscoggin and Dead
Dead River (New Hampshire)
The Dead River is a river located entirely in the city of Berlin in northern New Hampshire in the United States. It is a tributary of the Androscoggin River, which flows south and east into Maine, joining the Kennebec River near the Atlantic Ocean....
rivers. The Mahoosuc Range is to the southeast. Jericho Mountain State Park
Jericho Mountain State Park
Jericho Mountain State Park is located in the White Mountains in Berlin, New Hampshire. The park was created in 2005 with the acquisition by the New Hampshire Division of Forests and Lands of two abutting properties: a city park centered on Jericho Lake, and a piece of private property to the...
, created from a city park and from private land in 2005, is west of the city center and features a reservoir
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
created in the 1970s and a network of ATV
All-terrain vehicle
An all-terrain vehicle , also known as a quad, quad bike, three wheeler, or four wheeler, is defined by the American National Standards Institute as a vehicle that travels on low pressure tires, with a seat that is straddled by the operator, along with handlebars for steering control...
trails. The city's highest point is Mount Weeks
Mount Weeks
Mount Weeks is a mountain located in Coos County, New Hampshire.The mountain is named for United States Senator John W. Weeks of nearby Lancaster, New Hampshire, the sponsor of the Weeks Act of 1911, under which the White Mountain National Forest was established.Mt...
, at 3901 feet (1,189 m) above sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
. Approximately half of Berlin lies within the Connecticut River
Connecticut River
The Connecticut River is the largest and longest river in New England, and also an American Heritage River. It flows roughly south, starting from the Fourth Connecticut Lake in New Hampshire. After flowing through the remaining Connecticut Lakes and Lake Francis, it defines the border between the...
watershed
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
, and half lies in the Androscoggin River
Androscoggin River
The Androscoggin River is a river in the U.S. states of Maine and New Hampshire, in northern New England. It is long and joins the Kennebec River at Merrymeeting Bay in Maine before its water empties into the Gulf of Maine on the Atlantic Ocean. Its drainage basin is in area...
watershed.
Rivers
- Androscoggin RiverAndroscoggin RiverThe Androscoggin River is a river in the U.S. states of Maine and New Hampshire, in northern New England. It is long and joins the Kennebec River at Merrymeeting Bay in Maine before its water empties into the Gulf of Maine on the Atlantic Ocean. Its drainage basin is in area...
- Dead River (New Hampshire)Dead River (New Hampshire)The Dead River is a river located entirely in the city of Berlin in northern New Hampshire in the United States. It is a tributary of the Androscoggin River, which flows south and east into Maine, joining the Kennebec River near the Atlantic Ocean....
- Upper Ammonoosuc RiverUpper Ammonoosuc RiverThe Upper Ammonoosuc River is a tributary of the Connecticut River that flows through Coös County in northern part of the northeastern U.S. state of New Hampshire...
Climate
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2010, there were 10,051 people residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 160.8 people per square mile (62.1/km²). There were 4,910 housing units at an average density of 78.6 per square mile (30.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.54% White, 0.81% African American, 0.39% Native American, 0.28% Asian, 0% Pacific Islander, 0.22% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.77% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.51% of the population.
The population of Berlin rose rapidly from 1880 through 1930. The fastest growth more than doubled the population between 1890 and 1900. A slow decline began after 1930, interrupted only by a temporary increase around 1960.
| First ancestries of Berlin residents, 2000 | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ancestry | Total Respondents 9,079 | Percentage of Total Respondents |
French Canadian French Canadian French Canadian or Francophone Canadian, , generally refers to the descendents of French colonists who arrived in New France in the 17th and 18th centuries... |
3,937 | 43.4% |
French France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... |
1,817 | 20.0% |
American United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
673 | 7.4% | |
| Total | 6,427 | 70.8% | ||||||||||
Notable inhabitants
- Michael DurantMichael DurantMichael J. "Mike" Durant is an American pilot and author who was held prisoner for eleven days in 1993 after a raid in Mogadishu, Somalia. He was a member of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment as a Chief Warrant Officer 3...
, US Army Night Stalkers pilot shot down and held prisoner after the Battle of Mogadishu - George Hawkins, the victim of a bad skin graft that led to the celebrated "Hairy Hand" case of Hawkins v. McGeeHawkins v. McGeeHawkins v. McGee, 84 N.H. 114, 146 A. 641 , is a leading case on damages in contracts handed down by the New Hampshire Supreme Court. It has come to be known as the "Hairy Hand" case from the circumstances, because a subsequent decision uses the phrase.This case is famous for its mention in the...
- Earl Silas TupperEarl TupperEarl Silas Tupper was the inventor of Tupperware, an airtight plastic container for storing food.-Biography:...
(1907–1983), inventor of TupperwareTupperwareTupperware is the name of a home products line that includes preparation, storage, containment, and serving products for the kitchen and home, which were first introduced to the public in 1946.... - Bob WhitcherBob WhitcherRobert Arthur Whitcher was a Major League Baseball pitcher who appeared in nine games for the Boston Braves in 1945. The 5'8", 165 lb. left-hander was a native of Berlin, New Hampshire....
, Major League baseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
pitcherPitcherIn baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
Public schools
Public education is managed by Berlin Public Schools:- Berlin High SchoolBerlin High School (New Hampshire)Berlin High School is a public, co-educational high school located in Berlin, New Hampshire, that was established in 1884-1885. It also serves the towns of Dummer, Errol, and Milan. During its lifetime, the school has been in four different buildings, two of them burning down...
(Grades 9 through 12) - Berlin Junior High School (Grades 6 through 8)
- Hillside Elementary School (Grades 3 through 6)
- Brown Elementary SchoolBrown Elementary School (Berlin, New Hampshire)Brown Elementary School is a public school located at 190 Norway Street in the northern part of Berlin, New Hampshire. It houses grades K through 2nd.- History :...
(Grades K through 2)
Higher education
- White Mountains Community College (member of the Community College System of New HampshireCommunity College System of New HampshireThe Community College System of New Hampshire is an organization of seven public community colleges located throughout New Hampshire. 95% of enrolled students are New Hampshire residents.The colleges offer over 80 associate degree programs...
) - Granite State CollegeGranite State College-History and mission:Founded in 1972, and headquartered in Concord, Granite State College is one of the four institutions of the University System of New Hampshire with a primary mission of being the system's statewide college for adults and college-age students to have access to advanced,...
Radio stations
- WMOUWMOUWMOU is a radio station licensed to Berlin, New Hampshire, USA, and with its offices located in Littleton, New Hampshire, the station serves northern New Hampshire and the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont. The station is currently owned by Barry P...
1210 AM- Oldies - WPKQWOKQ-External links:*...
103.7 FM- Country (simulcastSimulcastSimulcast, shorthand for "simultaneous broadcast", refers to programs or events broadcast across more than one medium, or more than one service on the same medium, at the same time. For example, Absolute Radio is simulcast on both AM and on satellite radio, and the BBC's Prom concerts are often...
of WOKQWOKQ-External links:*...
)
Movies
The following movies have been filmed in Berlin:- The Masked MenaceThe Masked MenaceThe Masked Menace was a 1927 drama film serial directed by Arch Heath and mostly flimed in Berlin, New Hampshire. It was adapted from the story Still Face by pulp writer Clarence Buddington Kelland and was released in ten chapters...
, filmed in 1927
Inventions
The fowling items were created in Berlin:- Bermico, a type of pipe that were produced by the Brown CompanyBrown CompanyThe Brown Company was a pulp and papermaking company based in Berlin, New Hampshire. They closed their doors after World War II.-History:The company began as a large sawmill at the head of Berlin Falls in 1852 as the H. Winslow Company, then later changed its name to the Berlin Mills Company....
in the 1950’s and 60’s - Cellulose floc, developed by the Brown CompanyBrown CompanyThe Brown Company was a pulp and papermaking company based in Berlin, New Hampshire. They closed their doors after World War II.-History:The company began as a large sawmill at the head of Berlin Falls in 1852 as the H. Winslow Company, then later changed its name to the Berlin Mills Company....
- Farrand Rapid Rule, created by Hiram A. Farrand Inc. but later sold to Stanley WorksStanley WorksStanley Black & Decker , formerly known as The Stanley Works, is a manufacturer of tools and hardware and provider of security products and locks headquartered in New Britain, Connecticut...
- Kream Krisp, a substance like CriscoCriscoCrisco is a brand of shortening produced by the J. M. Smucker Co. popular in the United States. Introduced in June 1911 by Procter & Gamble, it was the first shortening to be made entirely of vegetable oil...
created by the Brown CompanyBrown CompanyThe Brown Company was a pulp and papermaking company based in Berlin, New Hampshire. They closed their doors after World War II.-History:The company began as a large sawmill at the head of Berlin Falls in 1852 as the H. Winslow Company, then later changed its name to the Berlin Mills Company....
, which led to lawsuit known as “Procter and Gamble vs. the Brown Company”
Historic sites
Berlin is home to the following sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places:- Congregational ChurchCongregational Church (Berlin, New Hampshire)The Congregational Church is a historic building at 921 Main Street in Berlin, New Hampshire.It was built in 1882 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980....
, added in 1980 - Holy Resurrection Orthodox ChurchHoly Resurrection Orthodox ChurchHoly Resurrection Orthodox Church , is a historic Eastern Orthodox Church building on Petrograd Street in Berlin, New Hampshire. The church is known locally as "The Russian Church" because it was built in 1915 by Russian immigrants who were mostly from the provinces of Gordensk, Wolensk, and Minsk...
, added in 1979 - Mt. Jasper Lithic Source, added in 1992
- St. Anne ChurchSt. Anne Church (Berlin, New Hampshire)St. Anne Church is a historic church at 58 Church Street in Berlin, New Hampshire. It was built in 1900 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979....
, added in 1979
Sites of interest
- The former Nansen Ski JumpNansen Ski JumpNansen Ski Jump is a ski jump located along Route 16 in Milan, New Hampshire, just north of the Berlin city line. It was constructed in 1936 by the city of Berlin and the National Youth Administration and was once the largest of its time. The ski jump has a steel frame and is in length...
- Moffett House Museum
- Northern Forest Heritage Park
- Jericho Mountain State ParkJericho Mountain State ParkJericho Mountain State Park is located in the White Mountains in Berlin, New Hampshire. The park was created in 2005 with the acquisition by the New Hampshire Division of Forests and Lands of two abutting properties: a city park centered on Jericho Lake, and a piece of private property to the...
External links
- City of Berlin official website
- BerlinNH.net, community informational website and blog
- New Hampshire Economic & Labor Market Information Bureau Profile
- Video - NADC Purchases Pulp Mill in Berlin, New Hampshire
- Beyond Brown Paper, the photo archives of the Brown Company covering 1885 through 1965