Incorporation Dates for Municipalities of Berks County, PA

Based on information contained in Incorporation Dates for Pennsylvania Municipalities, Comm of PA, Department of Internal Affairs, 1965 and other sources.

Note: Numbers in parentheses refer to the reference sources listed at the end of this file.

Berks County - 3rd Class: Formed on March 11, 1752 from parts of Philadelphia, Chester & Lancaster Counties. [Archivist's Note: Also formed from part of Cumberland County.]

Third Class City

• Reading; laid out as town in 1784; incorporated as a borough on September 15, 1783; incorporated as 3rd Class City on Mar. 16, 1847.

Boroughs

• Bally; incorporated 1912 (1, 2) or 1913 (3) from Washington Township.
• Bechtelsville; settled 1869; incorporated September 11, 1890 from Washington Township.
• Bernville; settled 1819; incorporated 1851 from Penn Township.
• Birdsboro; laid out 1740; incorporated July 11, 1872 (1) or November 1872 (2,3) from Robeson Township.
• Boyertown; laid out 1835; incorporated October 20, 1866 from Colebrook Township.
• Centerport; settled 1818; incorporated 1884 from Center Township.
• Fleetwood; laid out 1868; incorporated October 4, 1873 from Richmond Township.
• Hamburg; settled 1732; incorporated April 3, 1838 from Windsor Township.
• Kenhorst; incorporated 1931 from Cumru Township.
• Kutztown; settled 1779; incorporated 1815 from Maxatawny Township.
• Laureldale; incorporated April 8, 1930 from Muhlenburg Township.
• Leesport; laid out 1842; incorporated 1901 from Ontelaunee Township, called West Leesport Borough until 1958.
• Lenhartsville; laid out 1854; incorporated 1887 from Greenwich Township.
• Lyons; incorporated June 20, 1927.
• Mohnton; settled 1846; incorporated March 18, 1907 from Cumru Township.
• Mount Penn; laid out 1800; incorporated November 7, 1902 from Alsace Township.
• Robesonia; incorporated 1913 (1,2) or 1903 (3) from Heidelberg Township.
• St. Lawrence; incorporated April 23, 1927 from Exeter Township.
• Shillington; settled 1844; incorporated August 18, 1908 from Cumru Township.
• Shoemakersville; incorporated 1921 from Perry Township.
• Sinking Spring; incorporated 1913 (1,2) or 1911 (3) from Lower Heidelberg Township.
• Strausstown; incorporated 1920 from Upper Tulpehocken Township.
• Temple; incorporated 1920 (1,2) or 1922 (3) from Muhlenberg Township.
• Topton; settled 1859; incorporated January 18, 1877 (1,2) or 1875 (3) from Longswamp Township.
• Wernersville; incorporated 1914 from Heidelberg Township.
• West Lawn; incorporated 1920 (1,2) or 1923 (3) from Spring Township.
• West Reading; laid out 1873; incorporated March 18, 1907 from Spring & Cumru Townships.
• Womelsdorf; laid out in 1762; incorporated 1833 from Heidelberg Township. (At one time called Middletown).
• Wyomissing; laid out in 1896; incorporated July 22, 1906 from Spring Township.
• Wyomissing Hills; incorporated 1920 from Spring Township.

First Class Townships

• Colebrookdale; settled 1720; incorporated September 7, 1741 while part of Philadelphia County.
• Cumru; settled 1732; incorporated 1737 from Lancaster County.
• Muhlenberg; incorporated February 10, 1851 from Alsace Township.

Second Class Townships

• Albany; settled 1743; incoporated 1752.
• Alsace; settled 1735; incorporated March 4, 1745 (1) or 1744 (2,3) while part of Philadelphia Co.
• Amity; settled about 1693; incorporated March 3, 1744 while part of
Philadelphia County. In 1719, a petition was made to the Court to erect Amity Township. and the Court granted the petition. However no record was made of the proceedings and the petition was renewed 25 years later in 1744.
• Bern; settled about 1734; incorporated 1738 while part of Lancaster County.
• Bethel; settled 1735; incorporated May 1739 while part of Lancaster County.
• Brecknock; settled 1729; incorporated 1741 while part of Lancaster County.
• Caenarvon; settled 1700; incorporated 1729 while part of Chester County.
• Centre; incorporated January 2, 1843 from Bern, Upper Bern & Penn Townships.
• District; incorporated 1759 from Oley & Colebrookdale Townships.
• Douglass; settled 1720; incorporated June 7, 1736 while part of Philadelphia County.
• Earl; incorporated Nov 1781 from Oley Township.
• Exeter; settles 1718; incorporated December 7, 1741 while part of Philadelphia County.
• Greenwich; settled 1749; incorporated 1755 from Albany Township.
• Heidelberg; settled 1723; incorporated 1734 while part of Lancaster County.
• Hereford; settled 1732; incorporated February 1, 1753 from Colebrookdale Township.
• Jefferson; settled about 1723; incorporated January 28, 1852 (1) or 1851 (2,3) from Upper Tulpehocken Township.
• Longswamp; settled 1734; incorporated May 1761 from Rockland Township.
• Lower Alsace; settled 1714; incorporated 1888 from Alsace Township.
• Lower Heidelberg; settled 1730; incorporated September 15, 1842 from Heidelberg Township.
• Maidencreek; settled 1732; incorporated December 1746 (1,2) or 1748 (3) while part of Philadelphia County.
• Marion; settled 1723; incorporated April 6, 1844 (1) or 1843 (2,3) from Tulpehocken & Heidelberg Townships.
• Maxatawny; settled 1732; incorporated September 6, 1742 while part of Philadelphia County.
• North Heidelberg; settled about 1736; incorporated January 9, 1845 from Heidelberg Township.
• Oley; settled 1700; incorporated September 1, 1740 while part of Philadelphia County.
• Ontelaunee; settled about 1721; incorporated 1849 from Maidencreek Township.
• Penn; settled 1735; incorporated November 5, 1841 from Bern & Upper Bern Townships.
• Perry; settled 1735; incorporated 1852 from Windsor Township. made a separate election district in 1821.
• Pike; incorporated August 1813 (1) or 1812 (2,3) from Earl, Oley and Rockland Townships.
• Richmond; settled 1720; incorporated 1752 (1,2) or 1755 (3).
• Robeson; settled 1720; incorporated August 1729 while part of Lancaster County.
• Rockland; incorporated 1758 from Oley Township.
• Ruscombmanor; settled 1749; incorporated 1752 (2) or 1759 (3).
• South Heidelberg; settled about 1730; incorporated June 20, 1914 from Lower Heidelberg Township.
• Spring; settled about 1728; incorporated November 23, 1850 from Cumru Township.
• Tilden; incorporated 1887 from Upper Bern Township.
• Tulpehocken; settled about 1707; incorporated 1729 while part of Lancaster County.
• Union; settled 1684; incorporated 1752 (1,2) or 1753 (3) from Coventry Township.
• Upper Bern; settled about 1730; incorporated 1789 from Bern Township. Upper Bern Township did not operate as a separate township until 1820.
• Upper Tulpehocken; settled about 1730; incorpoated November 6, 1820 from Tulpehocken Township.
• Washington; settled 1736; incorporated 1839 from Hereford & Colebrookdale Townships.
• Windsor; settled 1740; incorporated 1752.

Reference Sources

1. Pennsylvania, Political, Governmental, Military and Civil: Political and Civil History Volume by Frederick A. Godcharles, 1933.
2. Historical and Biographical Annals of Berks County, by Morton L. Montgomery, 1909.
3. Berks County Governmental Functions and a Brief Historical Review, by Berks County Commissioners, 1959.

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