Berks County, Pennsylvania
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Berks County, Pennsylvania | ||
|---|---|---|
 The Reading area from the Pagoda | ||
| ||
 Location in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania | ||
 Pennsylvania's location in the U.S. | ||
| Founded | March 11, 1752 | |
| Named for | Berkshire | |
| Seat | Reading | |
| Largest city | Reading | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 866 sq mi (2,243 km2) | |
| • Land | 857 sq mi (2,220 km2) | |
| • Water | 9.2 sq mi (24 km2), 1.1% | |
| Population (est.) | ||
| • (2017) | 417,854 | |
| • Density | 485/sq mi (187/km2) | |
| Congressional districts | 6th, 7th, 15th, 16th | |
| Time zone | Eastern: UTC−5/−4 | |
| Website | www.co.berks.pa.us | |
Footnotes: | ||
Pennsylvania Historical Marker | ||
| Designated | May 12, 1982[1] | |
Berks County (Pennsylvania German: Barricks Kaundi) is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the population was 411,442.[2] The county seat is Reading.[3]
Berks County comprises the Reading, PA Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), which is also included in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD Combined Statistical Area. (CSA).
Contents
1 History
2 Geography
2.1 Major highways
2.2 Adjacent counties
2.3 National protected area
2.4 State protected area
3 Demographics
4 Metropolitan and Combined Statistical Area
5 Government
5.1 County Commissioners
5.2 Other county offices
5.3 State Senate[17]
5.4 State House of Representatives[17]
5.5 United States House of Representatives
6 Politics
7 Education
7.1 Colleges and universities
7.2 Public school districts
7.3 Private high schools
7.4 Technical and trade schools
8 Arts and culture
9 Communities
9.1 City
9.2 Boroughs
9.3 Townships
9.4 Census-designated places
9.5 Unincorporated communities
9.6 Population ranking
10 Notable people
11 See also
12 Footnotes
13 Further reading
14 External links
History
Reading developed during the 1740s when the inhabitants of northern Lancaster County sent several petitions requesting that a separate county be established. With the help of German immigrant Conrad Weiser, the county was formed on March 11, 1752 from parts of Chester County, Lancaster County, and Philadelphia County.[4]
It was named after the English county in which William Penn's family home lay - Berkshire, which is often abbreviated to Berks. Berks County began much larger than it is today. The northwestern parts of the county went to the founding of Northumberland County in 1772 and Schuylkill County in 1811, when it reached its current size. In 2005, Berks County was added to the Delaware Valley Planning Area due to a fast-growing population and close proximity to the other communities.
In 2016, former Strausstown borough merged with Upper Tulpehocken township. Strausstown is now a village within Upper Tulpehocken Township.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 866 square miles (2,240 km2), of which 857 square miles (2,220 km2) is land and 9.2 square miles (24 km2) (1.1%) is water.[5] Most of the county is drained by the Schuylkill River, but an area in the northeast is drained by the Lehigh River via the Little Lehigh Creek and areas are drained by the Susquehanna River via the Swatara Creek in the northwest and the Conestoga River (which starts in Berks County between Morgantown and Elverson) in the extreme south. It has a humid continental climate (Dfa except for some Dfb on Blue Mountain at the northern boundary and on Mount Penn) and the hardiness zone is mostly 6b with 6a in some higher areas and 7a along the Schuylkill in the SE part of the county.
Major highways
I-76 / Penna Turnpike
I-176
I-78 / US 22
US 222
US 222 Bus.
US 422- US 422 Bus.
PA 10
PA 12
PA 23
PA 29
PA 61
PA 73
PA 100
PA 143
PA 183
PA 272
PA 345
PA 401
PA 419
PA 501
PA 562
PA 568
PA 625
PA 645
PA 662
PA 724
PA 737
Adjacent counties
Schuylkill County (north)
Lehigh County (northeast)
Montgomery County (east)
Chester County (southeast)
Lancaster County (southwest)
Lebanon County (west)
National protected area
- Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site
State protected area
- French Creek State Park
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1790 | 30,189 | — | |
| 1800 | 32,407 | 7.3% | |
| 1810 | 43,146 | 33.1% | |
| 1820 | 46,275 | 7.3% | |
| 1830 | 53,152 | 14.9% | |
| 1840 | 64,569 | 21.5% | |
| 1850 | 77,129 | 19.5% | |
| 1860 | 93,818 | 21.6% | |
| 1870 | 106,701 | 13.7% | |
| 1880 | 122,597 | 14.9% | |
| 1890 | 137,327 | 12.0% | |
| 1900 | 159,615 | 16.2% | |
| 1910 | 183,222 | 14.8% | |
| 1920 | 200,854 | 9.6% | |
| 1930 | 231,717 | 15.4% | |
| 1940 | 241,884 | 4.4% | |
| 1950 | 255,740 | 5.7% | |
| 1960 | 275,414 | 7.7% | |
| 1970 | 296,382 | 7.6% | |
| 1980 | 312,509 | 5.4% | |
| 1990 | 336,523 | 7.7% | |
| 2000 | 373,638 | 11.0% | |
| 2010 | 411,442 | 10.1% | |
| Est. 2017 | 417,854 | [6] | 1.6% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[7] 1790–1960[8] 1900–1990[9] 1990–2000[10] 2010–2017[2] | |||
As of the 2010 census, the county was 76.9% White non-Hispanic, 4.9% Black or African American, 0.3% Native American, 1.3% Asian, and 2.5% were two or more races. 16.4% of the population was of Hispanic or Latino ancestry.
As of the census[11] of 2010, there were 411,442 people, 154,356 households, and 106,532 families residing in the county. The population density was 479 people per square mile (184.9/km²). There were 164,827 housing units at an average density of 191.9 per square mile (74.1/km²). was 76.9% White non-Hispanic, 4.9% Black or African American, 0.3% Native American, 1.3% Asian, and 2.5% were two or more races. 16.4% of the population was of Hispanic or Latino ancestry.[12] Historically there was a large Pennsylvania Dutch population. It is known as part of Pennsylvania Dutch Country.
According to Muninetguide, the median household income for Berks County, as of 2010, is $54,105. According to patchworknation.org Berks County is classified as a Monied 'Burb.
There were 154,356 households out of which 33.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.1% were married couples living together, 12.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.0% were non-families. 24.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.08.
In the county, the population was spread out with 23.9% under the age of 18, 9.9% from 18 to 24, 24.4% from 25 to 44, 27.3% from 45 to 64, and 14.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.1 years. For every 100 females there were 95.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.70 males.
Berks County is home to an Old Order Mennonite community consisting of 136 families, located in the East Penn Valley near Kutztown and Fleetwood.[13] The Old Order Mennonites first bought land in the area in 1949.[14] In 2012, Old Order Mennonites bought two large farms in the Oley Valley. The Old Order Mennonites in the area belong to the Groffdale Conference Mennonite Church and use the horse and buggy as transportation. There are several farms in the area belonging to the Old Order Mennonite community and meetinghouses are located near Kutztown and Fleetwood.[13]
Metropolitan and Combined Statistical Area
Location of Berks County (Reading, PA) in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD CSA
The United States Office of Management and Budget[15] has designated Berks County as the Reading, PA Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). As of the 2010 U.S. Census[16] the metropolitan area ranked 10th most populous in the State of Pennsylvania and the 128th most populous in the United States with a population of 413,491. Berks County is also a part of the larger Philadelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD Combined Statistical Area (CSA), which combines the populations of Berks County as well as several counties around Philadelphia and in the states of Delaware, Maryland and New Jersey. The Combined Statistical Area is the largest in the State of Pennsylvania and 8th most populous in the United States with a population of 7,067,807.
Government
County Commissioners
Berks County Courthouse
- Christian Leinbach, Chair Republican
- Kevin Barnhardt, Vice Chair Democrat
- Mark C. Scott, Esq. Republican
Other county offices
- Clerk of Courts, James P. Troutman, Republican
- Controller, Sandy Graffius, Republican
- Coroner, Dennis J. Hess, Democrat
- District Attorney, John T. Adams, Democrat
- Prothonotary, Jonathan K. Del Collo, Republican
- Recorder of Deeds, Frederick Sheeler, Democrat
- Register of Wills, Larry J. Medaglia Jr., Republican
- Sheriff, Eric Weaknecht, Republican
- Treasurer, Dennis Adams, Republican
State Senate[17]
Judy Schwank, Democrat, Pennsylvania Senate, District 11
Bob Mensch, Republican, Pennsylvania Senate, District 24
Dave Argall, Republican, Pennsylvania Senate, District 29
John C. Rafferty Jr., Republican, Pennsylvania Senate, District 44
State House of Representatives[17]
Barry Jozwiak, Republican, Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 5
Jerry Knowles, Republican, Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 124
Mark Rozzi, Democrat, Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 126
Thomas R. Caltagirone, Democrat, Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 127
Mark Gillen, Republican, Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 128
Jim Cox, Republican, Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 129
David Maloney, Republican, Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 130
Ryan Mackenzie, Republican, Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 134
Gary Day, Republican, Pennsylvania House of Representatives, District 187
United States House of Representatives
Ryan Costello, Republican, Pennsylvania's 6th congressional district
Mary Gay Scanlon, Democratic, Pennsylvania's 7th congressional district
Susan Wild, Democratic, Pennsylvania's 15th congressional district
Lloyd Smucker, Republican, Pennsylvania's 16th congressional district
Politics
As of October 24, 2016, there were 259,918 registered voters in Berks County.[18]
Democratic: 120,282 (46.28%)
Republican: 100,813 (38.79%)- Other parties / No party: 38,823 (14.94%)
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third parties |
|---|---|---|---|
2016 | 52.5% 96,626 | 42.6% 78,437 | 4.9% 9,022 |
2012 | 49.6% 84,702 | 48.6% 83,011 | 1.7% 2,963 |
2008 | 44.6% 80,513 | 53.8% 97,047 | 1.6% 2,951 |
2004 | 53.0% 87,122 | 46.4% 76,309 | 0.6% 1,056 |
2000 | 52.7% 71,273 | 43.7% 59,150 | 3.6% 4,874 |
1996 | 46.3% 56,289 | 41.0% 49,887 | 12.8% 15,542 |
1992 | 40.3% 52,939 | 35.0% 46,031 | 24.7% 32,437 |
1988 | 62.4% 70,153 | 36.5% 41,040 | 1.1% 1,251 |
1984 | 65.9% 74,605 | 33.5% 37,849 | 0.6% 691 |
1980 | 56.4% 60,576 | 33.9% 36,449 | 9.6% 10,360 |
1976 | 50.6% 54,452 | 47.4% 50,994 | 2.0% 2,107 |
1972 | 62.4% 66,172 | 34.5% 36,563 | 3.2% 3,392 |
1968 | 46.5% 50,623 | 45.8% 49,877 | 7.7% 8,424 |
1964 | 33.2% 36,726 | 66.4% 73,444 | 0.4% 476 |
1960 | 54.8% 61,743 | 44.9% 50,572 | 0.4% 391 |
1956 | 57.3% 57,258 | 42.4% 42,349 | 0.3% 320 |
1952 | 52.4% 51,720 | 46.5% 45,874 | 1.1% 1,074 |
1948 | 43.6% 35,608 | 52.7% 43,075 | 3.7% 3,043 |
1944 | 43.3% 35,274 | 53.9% 43,889 | 2.8% 2,247 |
1940 | 36.9% 32,111 | 61.3% 53,301 | 1.8% 1,530 |
1936 | 30.2% 26,699 | 64.4% 56,907 | 5.3% 4,721 |
1932 | 37.1% 27,073 | 40.8% 29,763 | 22.2% 16,187 |
1928 | 64.0% 47,073 | 25.8% 18,960 | 10.2% 7,481 |
1924 | 51.4% 28,186 | 31.4% 17,220 | 17.3% 9,487 |
1920 | 47.7% 22,221 | 39.4% 18,361 | 12.9% 6,009 |
1916 | 34.3% 11,937 | 55.4% 19,267 | 10.3% 3,565 |
1912 | 8.8% 3,032 | 47.5% 16,430 | 43.7% 15,098 |
1908 | 41.0% 13,642 | 52.3% 17,381 | 6.8% 2,245 |
1904 | 46.3% 15,539 | 48.7% 16,357 | 5.0% 1,683 |
1900 | 41.5% 13,952 | 56.6% 19,013 | 1.9% 628 |
1896 | 43.3% 14,318 | 54.7% 18,099 | 2.0% 665 |
1892 | 34.8% 10,077 | 64.2% 18,602 | 1.1% 312 |
1888 | 36.7% 10,626 | 62.5% 18,105 | 0.9% 261 |
The first time since 1964 that a Democrat carried Berks in a Presidential election occurred in November 2008, with Barack Obama receiving 53.9% of the vote to John McCain's 44.7%. The other three statewide winners (Rob McCord for Treasurer, Jack Wagner for Auditor General, and Tom Corbett for Attorney General) also carried it.[20] While Republicans have controlled the commissioner majority most of the time and continue to control most county row offices, Democrats have become more competitive in Berks in recent years. In the 2012 Presidential election, Mitt Romney carried the county by approximately a one-percent margin, 49.6% to 48.6%, however, in 2016, Donald Trump carried Berks by a much larger margin of 52.9% to 42.7%.[21]
While Reading itself is heavily Democratic, the rural areas are strongly Republican.
Education
Map of Berks County, Pennsylvania Public School Districts
Colleges and universities
- Albright College
- Alvernia University
- Kutztown University of Pennsylvania
- Penn State Berks
- Reading Area Community College
Public school districts
- Antietam School District
- Boyertown Area School District
- Brandywine Heights Area School District
- Conrad Weiser Area School District
- Daniel Boone Area School District
- Exeter Township School District
- Fleetwood Area School District
- Governor Mifflin School District
- Hamburg Area School District
- Kutztown Area School District
- Muhlenberg School District
- Oley Valley School District
- Reading School District
- Schuylkill Valley School District
- Tulpehocken Area School District
- Twin Valley School District
- Upper Perkiomen School District
- Wilson School District
- Wyomissing Area School District
Private high schools
- Berks Christian School [2] in Birdsboro
Blue Mountain Academy, a Seventh-day Adventist boarding school in Tilden Township
Conestoga Christian School in Morgantown, Pennsylvania- Fairview Christian School in Reading
- Gateway Christian School in Mertztown
- The King's Academy in Mohrsville
- Berks Catholic High School in Reading
Technical and trade schools
- Berks Technical Institute
- Pace Institute
Reading Hospital School of Nursing- Berks Career and Technology Center (east campus in Oley, west campus in Leesport)
Arts and culture
The Reading Public Museum is an art, science, and history museum.
The Reading Buccaneers Drum and Bugle Corps are an all-age drum corps based in Berks County. The corps, founded in 1957, is a charter member Drum Corps Associates and an 11-time DCA World Champion.
Reading is home to one opera company, Berks Opera Company, founded in 2007 as Berks Opera Workshop. They were named Arts and Entertainment Newsmaker of the Year in 2015.
There are two Pennsylvania state parks and a Natural Area in Berks County.
Nolde Forest Environmental Education Center is south of Reading on land once owned by Jacob Nolde, a prominent Reading businessman and Pennsylvania environmentalist.
French Creek State Park, a former Recreational Demonstration Area, straddles the Berks and Chester County line.
Ruth Zimmerman Natural Area, part of the William Penn Forest District in Oley.[22]
There are two Pennsylvania Historic Sites in Berks County.
Conrad Weiser Homestead near Womelsdorf.
Daniel Boone Homestead near Birdsboro.
The Old Morlatton Village in Douglassville is maintained by the Historic Preservation Trust of Berks County. The village is composed of four historic structures: White Horse Inn, George Douglass Mansion, Bridge keeper's House, and the Mouns Jones House, constructed in 1716, which is the oldest recorded building in the county.
[3]
Communities
Map of Berks County, Pennsylvania with Municipal Labels showing Cities and Boroughs (red), Townships (white), and Census-designated places (blue).
Under Pennsylvania law, there are four types of incorporated municipalities: cities, boroughs, townships, and towns. The following cities, boroughs and townships are located in Berks County:
City
Reading (county seat)
Boroughs
Adamstown (mostly in Lancaster County)- Bally
- Bechtelsville
- Bernville
- Birdsboro
- Boyertown
- Centerport
- Fleetwood
- Hamburg
- Kenhorst
- Kutztown
- Laureldale
- Leesport
- Lenhartsville
- Lyons
- Mohnton
- Mount Penn
- New Morgan
- Robesonia
- St. Lawrence
- Shillington
- Shoemakersville
- Sinking Spring
- Topton
- Wernersville
- West Reading
- Womelsdorf
- Wyomissing
Townships
A farm in Windsor Township
- Albany
- Alsace
- Amity
- Bern
- Bethel
- Brecknock
- Caernarvon
- Centre
- Colebrookdale
- Cumru
- District
- Douglass
- Earl
- Exeter
- Greenwich
- Heidelberg
- Hereford
- Jefferson
- Longswamp
- Lower Alsace
- Lower Heidelberg
- Maidencreek
- Marion
- Maxatawny
- Muhlenberg
- North Heidelberg
- Oley
- Ontelaunee
- Penn
- Perry
- Pike
- Richmond
- Robeson
- Rockland
- Ruscombmanor
- South Heidelberg
- Spring
- Tilden
- Tulpehocken
- Union
- Upper Bern
- Upper Tulpehocken
- Washington
- Windsor
Census-designated places
Census-designated places are geographical areas designated by the U.S. Census Bureau for the purposes of compiling demographic data. They are not actual jurisdictions under Pennsylvania law. Other unincorporated communities, such as villages, may be listed here as well.
- Alleghenyville
- Alsace Manor
- Amity Gardens
- Baumstown
- Bethel
- Blandon
- Bowers
- Colony Park
- Dauberville
- Douglassville
- Dryville
- Edenburg
- Flying Hills
- Fox Chase
- Frystown
- Gibraltar
- Gouglersville
- Greenfields
- Grill
- Hereford
- Hyde Park
- Jacksonwald
- Kempton
- Kutztown University
- Lincoln Park
- Lorane
- Mertztown
- Mohrsville
- Montrose Manor
- Morgantown
- Mount Aetna
- Muhlenberg Park
- New Berlinville
- New Jerusalem
- New Schaefferstown
- Oley
- Pennside
- Pennwyn
- Rehrersburg
- Reiffton
- Riverview Park
- Schubert
- Shartlesville
- South Temple
- Springmont
- Spring Ridge
- Stony Creek Mills
- Stouchsburg
- Temple
- Virginville
- Walnuttown
- West Hamburg
- West Lawn
- West Wyomissing
- Whitfield
Unincorporated communities
- Geigertown
- North Heidelberg
- Pine Swamp
- Plowville
- Pricetown
- Scarlets Mill
- State Hill
- Strausstown
- Brownsville
- Blue Marsh
- Leinbachs
- Wooltown
- Cacoosing
Population ranking
The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2010 census of Berks County.[16]
† county seat
| Rank | City/Town/etc. | Municipal type | Population (2010 Census) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | † Reading | City | 88,082 |
| 2 | Wyomissing | Borough | 10,461 |
| 3 | Blandon | CDP | 7,152 |
| 4 | Shillington | Borough | 5,273 |
| 5 | Birdsboro | Borough | 5,163 |
| 6 | Kutztown | Borough | 5,012 |
| 7 | Whitfield | CDP | 4,733 |
| 8 | Hamburg | Borough | 4,289 |
| 9 | Lorane | CDP | 4,236 |
| 10 | Pennside | CDP | 4,215 |
| 11 | West Reading | Borough | 4,212 |
| 12 | Reiffton | CDP | 4,178 |
| 13 | Fleetwood | Borough | 4,085 |
| 14 | Boyertown | Borough | 4,055 |
| 15 | Sinking Spring | Borough | 4,008 |
| 16 | Laureldale | Borough | 3,911 |
| 17 | West Wyomissing | CDP | 3,407 |
| 18 | Amity Gardens | CDP | 3,402 |
| 19 | Jacksonwald | CDP | 3,393 |
| 20 | Riverview Park | CDP | 3,380 |
| 21 | Mount Penn | Borough | 3,106 |
| 22 | Mohnton | Borough | 3,043 |
| 23 | Kutztown University | CDP | 2,918 |
| 24 | Kenhorst | Borough | 2,877 |
| 25 | Womelsdorf | Borough | 2,810 |
| 26 | Flying Hills | CDP | 2,568 |
| 27 | Hyde Park | CDP | 2,528 |
| 28 | Wernersville | Borough | 2,494 |
| 29 | Topton | Borough | 2,069 |
| 30 | Robesonia | Borough | 2,061 |
| 31 | West Hamburg | CDP | 1,979 |
| 32 | Leesport | Borough | 1,918 |
| 33 | Temple | CDP | 1,877 |
| 34 | St. Lawrence | Borough | 1,809 |
| 35 | West Lawn | CDP | 1,715 |
| 36 | Fox Chase | CDP | 1,622 |
| 37 | Lincoln Park | CDP | 1,615 |
| 38 | Grill | CDP | 1,468 |
| 39 | South Temple | CDP | 1,424 |
| 40 | Muhlenberg Park | CDP | 1,420 |
| 41 | Shoemakersville | Borough | 1,378 |
| 42 | New Berlinville | CDP | 1,368 |
| 43 | Oley | CDP | 1,282 |
| 44 | Greenfields | CDP | 1,170 |
| 45 | Alleghenyville | CDP | 1,134 |
| 46 | Bally | Borough | 1,090 |
| 47 | Colony Park | CDP | 1,076 |
| 48 | Stony Creek Mills | CDP | 1,045 |
| 49 | Spring Ridge | CDP | 1,003 |
| 50 | Bernville | Borough | 955 |
| 51 | Bechtelsville | Borough | 942 |
| 52 | Hereford | CDP | 930 |
| 53 | Dauberville | CDP | 848 |
| 54 | Morgantown | CDP | 826 |
| 55 | Pennwyn | CDP | 780 |
| 56 | Springmont | CDP | 724 |
| 57 | Edenburg | CDP | 681 |
| 58 | Gibraltar | CDP | 680 |
| 59 | Mertztown | CDP | 664 |
| 60 | New Jerusalem | CDP | 649 |
| 61 | Montrose Manor | CDP | 604 |
| 62 | Stouchsburg | CDP | 600 |
| 63 | Gouglersville | CDP | 548 |
| 64 | Bethel | CDP | 499 |
| 65 | Walnuttown | CDP | 484 |
| T-66 | Lyons | Borough | 478 |
| T-66 | Alsace Manor | CDP | 478 |
| 67 | Shartlesville | CDP | 455 |
| 68 | Douglassville | CDP | 448 |
| 69 | Baumstown | CDP | 422 |
| 70 | Dryville | CDP | 398 |
| 71 | Centerport | Borough | 387 |
| 72 | Mohrsville | CDP | 383 |
| 73 | Frystown | CDP | 380 |
| 74 | Mount Aetna | CDP | 354 |
| 75 | Strausstown | Borough | 342 |
| 76 | Bowers | CDP | 326 |
| 77 | Rehrersburg | CDP | 319 |
| 78 | Virginville | CDP | 309 |
| 79 | Schubert | CDP | 249 |
| 80 | New Schaefferstown | CDP | 223 |
| 81 | Kempton | CDP | 169 |
| 82 | Lenhartsville | Borough | 165 |
| 83 | New Morgan | Borough | 71 |
Notable people
William Addams, congressman from Pennsylvania[23]
Priscilla Ahn, folk musician and singer-songwriter
John Barrasso, US Senator
Chad Billingsley, pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies
Daniel Boone, American pioneer, explorer, and frontiersman (1734–1820)
Kenny Brightbill, NASCAR Driver
Steve Burns, musician and former Blue's Clues host
James Henry Carpenter (1846–1898), Civil War sailor, officer, founder of Carpenter Technology Corporation
Bob Cesca, animator, political author and columnist/blogger for The Huffington Post
Jack Coggins, illustrator, author and artist, lived in Boyertown from 1948–2006
Rocky Colavito, former Major League Baseball player
Kerry Collins, professional football player (Panthers, Saints, Giants, Raiders, Titans, and Colts)
Michael Constantine, actor, star of Room 222 and My Big Fat Greek Wedding
Amy Cuddy, Harvard psychologist and TED Talks speaker
Lisa Eichhorn, actress, moved to Reading as a child and graduated from Mt. Penn High School
Carl Furillo, (1922-1989) Former Brooklyn-Los Angeles Dodgers right-fielder
John Henry Gilmore, Jr., professional football player (Saints, Bears, and Buccaneers)
Kate Gosselin of the Gosselin family, Reality TV stars of Jon & Kate Plus 8
Keith Haring, artist
Chad Henne, football player for the Miami Dolphins and University of Michigan
Chris Hero, professional wrestler
Joseph Hiester, governor of Pennsylvania 1820–1823
Tommy Hinnershitz (1912–1999), auto racing pioneer
Chad Hurley, co-founder of YouTube (attended Twin Valley and Albright College)
Mildred Jordan (1901–1982), novelist
Chip Kidd (born 1964), book jacket designer at Knopf Publishing Group[24]
Donyell Marshall, former NBA player and graduate of Reading High School
Kelly McGillis, actress, [Top Gun/Witness/The Accused]
Gordon McKellen, Jr., former US figure skating champion and Hall of Fame member
Morton L. Montgomery (1846–1933), Reading attorney and author of multiple history books about Berks County[25][26]
Lenny Moore, NFL Hall of Fame
Thomas Morris, Democratic politician, served in the United States Senate[27]
Jillian Murray (b. June 4, 1989), model/actress
Frederick Augustus Muhlenberg, architect, founder of Muhlenberg Greene Architects, American military and political leader 1887–1980
Jacob Nolde, conservationist
Bodo Otto, Senior Surgeon of the Continental Army during the American Revolution (1711–1787)
William Sands, U.S. Medal of Honor winner (Civil War)[28]
Martin Cruz Smith, novelist
Wallace Stevens, major American Modernist poet, October 2, 1879 – Cruz SAugust 2, 1955
Taylor Swift, Grammy Award-winning country/pop singer-songwriter
Ross Tucker, professional football player
John Updike, writer, 1932–2009
Gus Yatron, former congressman from Pennsylvania
Wayne Ellington, NBA Basketball Player
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Berks County, Pennsylvania
Footnotes
^ "PHMC Historical Markers Search" (Searchable database). Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Retrieved January 25, 2014..mw-parser-output cite.citationfont-style:inherit.mw-parser-output qquotes:"""""""'""'".mw-parser-output code.cs1-codecolor:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-free abackground:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-registration abackground:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-subscription abackground:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registrationcolor:#555.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration spanborder-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-errordisplay:none;font-size:100%.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-errorfont-size:100%.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-formatfont-size:95%.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-leftpadding-left:0.2em.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-rightpadding-right:0.2em
^ ab "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 16, 2013.
^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
^ The Statutes at Large of Pennsylvania from 1682-1809, 18 vols. (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: Wm. Stanley Ray, 1898), vol. 5 1744-1759, pages 133-140, 502-503, Chapter CCCXCII, "An Act for Erecting Part of the Counties Of Philadelphia, Chester and Lancaster into a Separate County," March 11, 1752, confirmed by the King in Council, May 10, 1753, creation of Berks County, digital images, Internet Archive (https://archive.org : July 26, 2018).
^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved March 5, 2015.
^ "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved October 10, 2018.
^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on April 22, 2013. Retrieved March 5, 2015.
^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved March 5, 2015.
^ Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 24, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 5, 2015.
^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Retrieved March 5, 2015.
^ http://pasdc.hbg.psu.edu/sdc/pasdc_files/census2010/Berks%20County.pdf
^ "Census 2010: Pennsylvania - USATODAY.com".
^ ab Orth, Richard L.T. (September 21, 2016). "A Look Back in History: The Old Order Mennonite Sect at Kutztown also preserving the Historic Oley Valley". BerksMont News. Retrieved October 15, 2017.
^ Shaner, Richard (July 24, 2009). "Kutztown welcomes Old Order Mennonites in 1949". BerksMont News. Retrieved October 15, 2017.
^ "Office of Management and Budget". February 7, 2017.
^ ab "Archived copy". Archived from the original on December 21, 2013. Retrieved February 13, 2016.CS1 maint: Archived copy as title (link)
^ ab Center, Legislativate Data Processing. "Find Your Legislator". The official website for the Pennsylvania General Assembly. Retrieved May 23, 2017.
^ [1] Archived October 7, 2016, at the Wayback Machine. Voting & Election Statistics
^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org.
^ http://www.electionreturns.state.pa.us/ElectionsInformation.aspx?ElectionID=28 Archived November 16, 2012, at the Wayback Machine. electionreturns.state.pa.us
^ http://elections.co.berks.pa.us/results/default.aspx. Retrieved November 16, 2016. Missing or empty|title=(help)
^ http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/cs/groups/public/documents/document/dcnr_20031119.pdf
^ Who Was Who in America, Historical Volume, 1607–1896. Chicago: Marquis Who's Who. 1963.
^ "Reading Eagle". readingeagle.
^ Montgomery, Morton L. Historical Sketch of Reading Artillerists: Read Upon the Occasion of Their 102d Anniversary in Metropolitan Hall, May 25, 1896. Chicago, Illinois: J.E. Norton & Company, 1897.
OCLC 16413450
^ Montgomery, Morton L. History of Berks County in Pennsylvania. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Everts, Peck & Richards, 1886.
OCLC 11333191
^ "Tolleson, Arizona". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved August 24, 2012.
^ "Sands, William", in "Medal of Honor Recipients: Civil War (S-Z):. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Army Center of Military History, retrieved online October 6, 2018.
Further reading
- F.W. Balthaser, The Story of Berks County, Pennsylvania. Reading, PA: Reading Eagle Press, 1925.
- D.B. Brunner, The Indians of Berks County, Pa., Being a Summary of all the Tangible Records of the Aborigines of Berks County, with Cuts and Descriptions of the Varieties of Relics Found within the County. Reading, PA: Eagle Book Print, 1897.
- Morton L. Montgomery, History of Berks County in Pennsylvania. Philadelphia: Everts, Peck & Richards, 1886.
- Morton L. Montgomery, History of Berks County, Pennsylvania, in the Revolution, from 1774 to 1783. Reading, PA: C.F. Haage, printer, 1894.
- Morton L. Montgomery, Political Hand-Book of Berks County, Pennsylvania, 1752–1883. Reading, PA: B.F. Owen, 1883.
- Morton L. Montgomery, School history of Berks County in Pennsylvania. Philadelphia: J.B. Rodgers Printing Co., 1889.
- Kathy M. Scogna, "The Birth of a County — 1752,". Historical Review of Berks County, Winter 2001–02.
External links
- County of Berks, Pennsylvania
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Berks County, Pennsylvania
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Delaware Valley | ||
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Coordinates: 40°25′N 75°56′W / 40.42°N 75.93°W / 40.42; -75.93