Berlin Borough History:    View the Berlin Borough Photo Album

There are many stories of how Berlin, Camden County, New Jersey, got its name. The following version is a favorite.

The main travel route between the New Jersey shore and the Delaware River ran through this town. It was a Native American path called Lonaconing Trail. Travelers and shipwrecked sailors who walked the path would stop at a stream here. This stream was the head of the Great Egg Harbor River. The weary travelers knowing the trail name would refer to the spot as "long a coming". The name stuck.

The first man settled here in 1714, with a few more following, but the town was slow to grow. By the early 1800's there were several iron forges and glassworks in the area. Traffic was increasing along the route and 3 taverns and 2 hotels were opened.

This was the Victorian era and people started traveling for recreation. Atlantic City, New Jersey was a popular spot. Long-A-Coming is halfway between Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Atlantic City, so it became a stopping point on the stagecoach route. A rail line was laid in 1853. Three years later, the Long-A-Coming Railroad Station was built. In February of 1867, the station was renamed "Magnolia". This caused confusion because there was a town called Magnolia near by. So, three months later, the station's name changed to Berlin. Nobody knows why Berlin was chosen.

Today, the Lonaconing Trail is called Route 30, also known as The White Horse Pike. It is still a main route between Philadelphia and Atlantic City.