Berlin, Connecticut

Berlin, Connecticut
Town
Rural Berlin from Short Mountain Rural Berlin from Short Mountain
Seal
Location within Hartford County, Connecticut
Coordinates:
Country	United States
State	Connecticut
NECTA	Hartford
Region	Central Connecticut
Incorporated	1785
Government
• Type	Council-manager
• Town Manager	Denise McNair
• Mayor	Rachel J. Rochette (D)
• Deputy Mayor	William Rasmussen Jr. (D)
• Town Council	Rachel J. Rochette (D), Mayor William Rasmussen Jr. (D), Dep Mayor Peter A. Rosso (D) Brenden T. Luddy (R) Margaret K. Morelli (D) David K. Evans (R) Charles R. Paonessa (R)
Area
• Total	27.0 sq mi (69.9 km2)
• Land	26.3 sq mi (68.2 km2)
• Water	0.7 sq mi (1.7 km2)
Elevation	105 ft (32 m)
Population (2010)
• Total	19,866
• Density	740/sq mi (280/km2)
Time zone	Eastern (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	Eastern (UTC-4)
ZIP code	06023, 06037
Area code(s)	860
FIPS code	09-04300
GNIS feature ID	0213388
Website	www.town.berlin.ct.us

Berlin (/ˈbɜːrlɪn/ BUR-lin) is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 19,866 at the 2010 census. It was incorporated in 1785. The geographic center of Connecticut is located in the town. Berlin is residential and industrial, and is served by the Amtrak station of the same name. Berlin also has two hamlets: Kensington and East Berlin.

Town seal

The greatest boom to Berlin industry resulted from the decision of the Patterson brothers to start their business on West Street (now called Lower Lane). For twenty years until 1760, they kept their work in the family selling their wares from a basket. When demand increased they took apprentices into the shop and engaged peddlers to travel throughout the colonies selling the shiny, useful articles (the seal of the Town of Berlin shows such a "Yankee peddler" in eighteenth-century dress with a basket under his arm, a pack on his back full of tinware). As others learned the trade, they soon set up shop and hired apprentices. There were so many that the noise of the whitesmiths and their hammering could be heard in every part of town.

History

Berlin was one of the birthplaces of interchangeable parts manufacturing and of the industrial revolution in the United States, in the workshop of Simeon North. The town was formerly known as Kensington.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 27.0 square miles (69.9 km²), of which 26.3 square miles (68.2 km²) is land and 0.66 square miles (1.7 km²), or 2.45%, is water. The geographic center of Connecticut is located in Berlin.

The west side of Berlin is flanked by the Metacomet Ridge, a mountainous trap rock ridgeline that stretches from Long Island Sound to nearly the Vermont border. Notable mountains of the Metacomet ridge in Berlin include the Hanging Hills, Lamentation Mountain, Short Mountain, and Ragged Mountain. The 51-mile (82 km) Metacomet Trail and the 50-mile (80 km) Mattabesett Trail traverse the ridge.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1820	2,877		—
1840	3,411		—
1850	1,869		−45.2%
1860	2,146		14.8%
1870	2,436		13.5%
1880	2,385		−2.1%
1890	2,600		9.0%
1900	3,448		32.6%
1910	3,728		8.1%
1920	4,298		15.3%
1930	4,875		13.4%
1940	5,230		7.3%
1950	7,470		42.8%
1960	11,250		50.6%
1970	14,149		25.8%
1980	15,121		6.9%
1990	16,787		11.0%
2000	18,215		8.5%
2010	19,866		9.1%
Est. 2014	20,610		3.7%
U.S. Decennial Census

See also: List of Connecticut locations by per capita income

As of the 2010 census Berlin had a population of 19,866. The racial makeup of the population was 94.9% white, 0.7% black or African American, 0.1% native American, 2.7% Asian, 0.6% from some other race and 1.0% from two or more races. 3.2% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race.

As of the census of 2000, there were 18,215 people, 6,792 households, and 5,155 families residing in the town. The population density was 688.6 people per square mile (265.9/km²). There were 6,955 housing units at an average density of 262.9 per square mile (101.5/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.03% White, 0.36% African American, 0.05% Native American, 1.65% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.18% from other races, and 0.73% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.47% of the population.

There were 6,792 households out of which 34.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.5% were married couples living together, 7.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.1% were non-families. 20.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.11.

In the town the population was spread out with 24.7% under the age of 18, 5.3% from 18 to 24, 27.8% from 25 to 44, 25.6% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 94.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.7 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $68,068, and the median income for a family was $76,756. Males had a median income of $49,714 versus $34,832 for females. The per capita income for the town was $27,744. About 1.4% of families and 2.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 0.9% of those under age 18 and 6.8% of those age 65 or over.

Voter registration and party enrollment as of October 25, 2005
Party		Active voters	Inactive voters	Total voters	Percentage
	Democratic	4,881	106	4,987	39.06%
	Republican	2,951	67	3,018	23.64%
	Unaffiliated	4,626	126	4,752	37.22%
	Minor parties	10	0	10	0.07%
Total		12,468	299	12,767	100%

Economy

Top employers

According to Berlin's 2011 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:

#	Employer	# of Employees
1	Northeast Utilities	1,703
2	Town of Berlin	611
3	Comcast	516
4	Parker Hannifin	320
5	Corbin Russwin	269
6	B & F Machine	185
7	TIGHITCO	151
8	The Home Depot	135
9	Stop & Shop	132
10	TOMZ	101

Notable people

• Austin Stowell (1984-) - American actor known for films Dolphin Tale, Whiplash, and Bridge of Spies
• Matthew Carasiti (1991-) - an American professional baseball pitcher for the Asheville Tourists, a minor league baseball team based in Asheville, North Carolina, USA
• LuAnn de Lesseps (1965-) - Cast member on The Real Housewives of New York City
• Simeon North (1765–1852)- Early manufacturing pioneer adopted milling/manufacturing with interchangeable parts
• Ryan Preece (1990-) - NASCAR driver.
• Emma Hart Willard (1787–1870), pioneer in women's education

Historical population

Library, about 1911

• 1790 – 2,465
• 1800 – 2,702
• 1810 – 2,798
• 1820 – 2,877
• 1830 – 3,037
• 1840 – 3,411
• 1850 – 1,869 *New Britain, Connecticut separated from Berlin
• 1860 – 2,146
• 1870 – 2,436
• 1880 – 2,385
• 1890 – 2,600
• 1900 – 3,448
• 1910 – 3,728
• 1920 – 4,298
• 1930 – 4,875
• 1940 – 5,230
• 1950 – 7,470
• 1960 – 11,250
• 1970 – 14,149
• 1980 – 15,121
• 1990 – 16,787
• 2000 – 18,215
• 2010 – 19,866

Sources: Interactive Connecticut State Register & Manual and U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division

Education

There are three elementary schools, Mary E. Griswold School, Emma Hart Willard School, and Richard D. Hubbard School, as well as Catherine M. McGee Middle School, and Berlin High School. Besides these, two private education schools in Berlin include Saint Paul School (Founded 1958) and Mooreland Hill School (Founded 1928?)

The town's public library is the Berlin-Peck Memorial Library located at the Arthur B. Powers complex, the library contains an adjoining community center with publicly available meeting rooms, a gym area and a game room. Adult education classes are held here as well as meetings for civic and student groups.

Pronunciation

Although taken from the name of the Prussian capital, Berlin, which receives the stress in its pronunciation on the second syllable, the name of the town in Connecticut has always received the stress in its pronunciation on the first syllable, in keeping with the recessive accent usual in the pronunciation of English. Notwithstanding this history, an urban legend now current in some quarters claims that the emphasis was changed during the First World War to differentiate the little town from the German city.

External links

• Town of Berlin official website
• Berlin-Peck Memorial Library