Bernville Borough

05/21/2026

Today’s photos take us back to the beginning and pay tribute to the founder of Bernville, Stephanus Umbenhauer. (There were various spellings of the last name in those early years.) He and his much younger brother Edwin left their native land of Switzerland and landed on these shores in 1737 when it was still a British colony.

The Umbenhauers found their way to Lancaster County where, unfortunately, unmarried Edwin died. Stephanus, his wife and children, then moved from their farm with poor soil to this area after discerning good farming soil. He bought 220 acres from Richard and Thomas Penn, William Penn’s sons. Stephanus diligently farmed, built a log cabin, and raised his family here. His grandson, Johann Thomas Umbenhauer, is credited as the Founder of Main Street because, upon realizing that a canal would be built nearby, he sold off land for building lots in 1819 that became Bernville’s Main Street.

For a time, Bernville was informally known as Umbenhauerstown. Eventually, the family decided on “Bernville,” after Bern, the capital of their ancestors’ homeland of Switzerland. Bernville officially received its new name in 1820. In 1851, Bernville became a borough, and it’s this moment in history that we commemorate this year.

These two photos show the Umbenhauer homestead and barn; we do not know the years in which the photos were taken. (Stephanus died in 1755 and never saw these prominent buildings because they were built by his descendants.) This house (built 1870) and barn (built 1839) survive. The house is privately owned, and the barn is home to Mario’s Pizzeria. For more information about the Umbenhauers, consult the 1976 Bernville History Book; there’s a copy in the Bernville Area Community Library.

This brings to an end our up-close look at a few items from the Heritage & Cultural Society’s collection. If you’ve enjoyed viewing these historic photos and objects, consider joining us for our Open House on Saturday, Oct. 17th and Sunday, Oct. 18th. The Open House will be held at Friedens Church, and the hours will be announced here later. Please mark your calendar. We’d love to see you there!

05/20/2026

Fifty years ago, another anniversary celebration was underway in Bernville led by co-chairs Pearl Kline and Dorothy Meredith. In 1976, residents held a parade in honor of the nation’s bicentennial which coincided with Bernville Borough’s 125th anniversary; after the parade, residents gathered in Umbenhauer Park for celebratory activities. As part of this multi-faceted celebration, a large quilt was designed by Janet Balthaser that was made to commemorate the occasion. It featured 30 appliqued blocks showcasing Bernville buildings and local scenes. Many Bernville-area women lent their talents to create this quilt that hangs in Friedens Church. Souvenir items, such as plates and mugs, were imprinted with Bernville’s colorful new 125th anniversary logo designed by Chris Kreitler. On another front, numerous residents contributed to the Bernville history book. This major undertaking captured the history of Bernville from its earliest days to 1976 and is filled with photos, detailed histories, maps, and a walking tour. It’s long been out of print but can be found for sale, occasionally, online.

One parade photo refers to “Brothers of the Brush.” They were men with beards.

Note: All items pictured here are in the Heritage & Cultural Society’s collection except for the quilt. It’s included here to portray all of the ways in which the borough’s 125th anniversary was celebrated.

05/19/2026

This posting offers a glimpse into Bernville’s civil-war-era manufacturing history.

The Bernville Foundry and Machine Shop was a large manufacturing operation that was located behind St. Thomas Church, across from what is now Rt. 183. (It’s pictured here in its later years.) It predates the Civil War and had several owners over the decades, including men whose last names were: Haag, Haak, Stoudt, Kline, Beyerle, and the final owner, William Harpel. Mr. Harpel was known, among other things, for producing corn planters. One of those corn planters is among the Heritage & Cultural Society’s collection and is pictured here. A farmer would pour seeds into the wooden box; within the wooden box is a metal gear that the farmer could adjust to determine seed spacing.

Another foundry-made item, within our collection and pictured here, is a very heavy cast iron furnace door made when the foundry was owned by Haag, Kline, & Co. Zooming in enables you to see the company name along with where it was made.

The Heritage & Cultural Society has an accounting ledger from the foundry. Here is a photo detailing their business transactions for January, 1861. (For perspective, the Civil War officially began in April of that year.)

The neatly-written order entries begin on the left side of the ledger under “Haag Beyerle, & Co.” The descriptions of how the orders were delivered is recorded on the right-side page labelled “Order Book.” Zooming in allows a close inspection of their business transactions. Deliveries to Reading and Robesonia were made for those orders needing to be shipped out of town. A few other entries recorded elsewhere state, “Shipped via Union Canal.”

The foundry experienced two fires, in 1870 and 1921. When it burned down in 1921, the foundry closed and moved to Topton. The bricks were salvaged and used to build part of the new Bernville Fire Company building which continues to be used by the Fire Company.

05/18/2026

Save the date! Local historians and authors, Paul and Kathleen Miller, will present “Blue Marsh and the Pleasant Valley: One Last Look” on June 16th at 7:00 p.m. at Friedens Church in Bernville. This free presentation is sponsored by the Heritage & Cultural Society as part of Bernville Borough’s 175th anniversary celebration. Please join us for an interesting and informative evening.

05/16/2026

Just a reminder!

Umbenhauer Park located within Bernville Borough, Berks County Pennsylvania, will be closed to the general public on Saturday, May 16, 2026 for a fundraising event hosted by the Bernville Community Fire Company.
The Bernville Community Fire Company will be hosting their Annual Sportsman Raffle. All proceeds benefit the 100% community volunteered Bernville Community Fire Company. This event helps support their vital continued services to local communities.
The fundraising event requires a ticket and that you be at least 21 years of age to enter.
We appreciate your support and understanding.

05/15/2026

Banners and US flags commemorating the nation’s 250th anniversary and Bernville Borough’s 175th anniversary have been installed along Rt 183 and Main Street. Thanks are extended to Randy Copenhaver for his time and efforts installing the banners, Jeff Gernsheimer for his artistic talent in designing the banners, and Mayor Wayne Lesher for installing the US flags.

The Borough takes this opportunity to thank the following businesses that have graciously provided funding to offset costs of the banners and flags: A.H. Moyer Inc.; AST Inc.; Bernville Grange; Hartman, Valeriano, Magovern and Lutz, P.C.; Jax Disposal; Main Street Tax & Accounting Services, Inc.; and St. Thomas Guild.

05/13/2026

From the time that Bernville became a borough in 1851, Council had been meeting in locations such as private residences or the fire hall. Around 1975/6, Borough Council decided that they needed their own place to meet. A private residence belonging to Daniel and Doris Parker had been used by the Army Corps of Engineers as a field office during the building of the Blue Marsh Dam. Council approached the Army Corps and was able to purchase the old Parker residence for a salvage value of $2,500. Council bought the house with the intent of moving it to the site of the old Creamery which had been razed in 1974. These photos, taken by Spencer Watts, show the actual move done by the firm of Wolfe & Flory. They moved it and made it operational for $15,939.00. (The house was originally built across from St. Thomas Church, on the other side of Route 183.) After the September move, it took a few months to prepare the new borough hall for occupancy; the first Council meeting took place on December 28, 1976. An additional photo shows the Creamery in its heyday, circa 1900, with horse-drawn wagons bringing in the milk from farms that the Creamery workers would convert into other products such as powdered milk, cream, and cheeses.

05/13/2026

The 2026-2027 Trash and Recycling Calendar

05/11/2026

The Bernville Woman’s Club was formed in the 1950s. It was part of a national chapter, and each Club was dedicated to community service and improvement. The women enjoyed socializing with each other, volunteering in their community, and getting involved in civic affairs. They held fundraisers and distributed their funds to the local schools, parks, and provided scholarship money. This scrapbook was donated to the Heritage & Cultural Society by Mary Ann Watts who was president during the years reflected in the scrapbook, 1978 - 1980. The Club is no longer active. A variety of pages from the thick scrapbook are presented here.

05/08/2026

The Bernville Lions Club was formed in 1950. There were 29 men at their first meeting, and Irvin Kirkhoff was the first president. The Lions Club was a service organization dedicated mainly to helping the blind, deaf, and less fortunate. Over the years, the men raised money to purchase such things as eyeglasses and wheelchairs, and the group also contributed greatly to their community by enhancing the parks and local schools. The Bernville chapter folded in 1996.

There are three photos: a lion paper weight, a Lions Club hat, and a plaque given to Edwin Meredith for his many years of membership and service.