Local events in Berlin Township, Delaware County
13 events in the next 90 days from 1 public calendar. All local events in Berlin Township, Delaware County
Checked October 20; the events page is refreshed daily.
Lakes near Berlin Township, Delaware County
The history under the water: the valley before, the dam, the stories. All Ohio lakes
How Berlin Township, Delaware County began
Berlin Township was carved out of parts of Berkshire, Delaware and Liberty Townships and organized under its present bounds on January 8, 1820, on petition of Asa Scott, who also suggested its name. Settlement began in November 1805, when George Cowgill located a mile north of the Delaware and Sunbury Pike; families from Waterbury, Connecticut and Berkshire County, Massachusetts followed, clearing land along Alum Creek and living for years alongside Native neighbors before the War of 1812 unsettled relations. Cheshire, laid out on a barren clay knoll that pioneer Jesse Hultz nicknamed 'Peth,' became the township's principal settlement and a stop on the Underground Railroad. Today Berlin Township is Delaware County's fastest-growing rural township, reaching into the northwestern edge of the city of Delaware and the Alum Creek Reservoir area.
Settled 1805, incorporated 1820-01-08, by Asa Scott, township treasurer under Berkshire Township, who petitioned the county commissioners and suggested the name.
Where the name comes from
No source consulted explains why the township took the name 'Berlin.' The 1908 county history says only that Asa Scott, the outgoing Berkshire Township treasurer, 'started the petition for the new township and suggested its present name' when the township organized in 1820; it gives no reason for the choice. This is unlike neighboring Berkshire Township, whose name for Berkshire County, Massachusetts is explicitly recorded.
Before the town
The 1880 and 1908 county histories describe Berlin's Native neighbors as recent, not ancient, history. Early settlers found Indians 'as thick as blackbirds,' generally on peaceable terms: they did not dispute the settlers' right to hunt and fish, though they felt entitled to a share of the corn and vegetables grown in the new gardens. In 1809 an Indian who had committed 'some depredation' on George Cowgill's family was seized by the settlers and taken prisoner to Berkshire; his own band visited the next morning with faces painted red for peace, then returned that afternoon painted black for war, telling the settlers, 'Kill him, we nothing say, but no keep him to torture.' The settlers released him on condition he never return, and he was not seen again. Two Indians named Joe and George Bigtree were 'familiarly known in the Berlin settlement' and, during the War of 1812, visited with faces painted red to signal peaceful intent. Jonathan Thompson's Indian neighbors camped near his cabin, shared venison when they killed a deer, and, asked why they did not hunt on Sundays, answered, 'No good Indian hunt Sunday; the Great Spirit see.' No source consulted names the nation any of these individuals belonged to, or identifies a village, mound or trail sited within the township's own boundaries. The land was opened to settlement by the 1795 Treaty of Greenville, in which the Wyandot, Shawnee, Lenape (Delaware), Miami, Ottawa and other nations ceded most of Ohio to the United States, and was surveyed and distributed as United States Military District bounty-land. The county's documented Native villages, trails and burials include sites recorded in neighboring Kingston Township.
Nations recorded here: Wyandot, Shawnee, Lenape (Delaware), Miami, Ottawa.
Timeline
- — The Treaty of Greenville cedes most of what becomes Ohio, including the future Berlin Township, to the United States.
- — George Cowgill locates about a mile north of the Delaware and Sunbury Pike in November, becoming the township's first permanent settler.
- — Joseph Constant Lewis, son of David Lewis Jr., is born on September 29 on the west side of Alum Creek, the first white child born in the township.
- — An Indian accused of a 'depredation' on George Cowgill's family is briefly taken prisoner to Berkshire and then released after his band's mixed threats and appeals for mercy; he is not seen in the settlement again.
- — Amid War of 1812 fears of British-incited Indian attacks, settlers build a two-story, forty-foot-square hewn-log blockhouse on the west bank of Alum Creek near Cheshire; a night alarm sends families rushing to it after gunfire is heard near Scott's and Aye's cabins, though no attack follows.
- — Berlin Township organizes in its present form on January 8, combining the first and fourth sections of Berkshire, the second section of Delaware and the third section of Liberty Township.
- — Cheshire receives its first post office on August 10, with storekeeper L. R. Ryant as postmaster.
- — The Nettleton Grove Bank Cemetery Association organizes on October 10 and lays out a cemetery south of Cheshire.
Stories
Bear Tracks, Not Indians
During the War of 1812, Berlin Township's settlers lived under constant apprehension that the British would turn the Northwest's Native population against isolated frontier cabins. A party clearing land for a new arrival worked with rifles leaning against nearby trees while David Lewis Sr. stood scout, under an agreed code: if he spotted danger, he was to report 'bears' rather than alarm the group outright. When he returned that afternoon warning of fresh 'bear tracks,' the men understood at once and quietly armed themselves, sending the children home and shepherding nearby families into the newly built blockhouse by nightfall. That night, David Lewis Jr. and Philo Hoadley crept out to scout the crossing near the fort and spotted two figures vaulting a brush fence in a cornfield; Lewis fired, dropped one, and both men sprang for the blockhouse under a burst of return fire, Lewis sprawling over a stump along the way. By morning no bodies or further sign could be found beyond moccasin tracks and blood in the cornfield — leaving the identity and fate of the intruders 'the subject of considerable conjecture' that was never resolved.
A Neighborly Peace
For years before the War of 1812 curdled relations, Berlin's settlers and their Native neighbors shared the same creek bottoms on ordinary, even friendly, terms. Jonathan Thompson's cabin on the Constant tract stood near a camp whose occupants sent him venison when they killed a deer and helped him at odd tasks; when he noticed they never hunted on Sundays, they told him, 'No good Indian hunt Sunday; the Great Spirit see.' Visits to the sugar camps in maple season were a favorite pastime for both sides, and wrestling was the usual entertainment offered a guest — a hold the settlers called 'Indian hug' that old man Lewis, past his prime but still vigorous, once used to throw a young brave who had bantered several other men into refusing the match first. Two men named Joe and George Bigtree were well enough known in the settlement to be named individually in the record, and during the tense years of the War of 1812 they took care to visit with their faces painted red — the recognized sign of peaceful intent.
The Village Called Peth
Cheshire grew up on a barren clay knoll on Samuel Adams's farm, and pioneer Jesse Hultz supplied its unofficial nickname: he called it 'Peth,' explaining that 'what don't run away will starve to death.' L. R. Ryant kept the first store in a room seven feet by nine, later adding a second room to sell ready-made and made-to-order shoes, and became the settlement's first postmaster in 1851. From its earliest years the township held a strong pro-slavery sentiment in the surrounding countryside, which makes the other current running through Cheshire notable: the Underground Railroad passed through the village, and freedom seekers could only be moved under cover of night from Orange Township along Alum Creek to a Quaker settlement, and from there on to Oberlin or another outlet.
Photographs
Photo: Nyttend, public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Nyttend, public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Local history sources: ohiogenealogyexpress.com · archive.org · en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org · commons.wikimedia.org · commons.wikimedia.org
Water
Alum Creek Reservoir intake at the Scott plant, Lewis Center Rd at Africa, Orange Township The water here
- Del-co Water Company, Inc.80% of residentsOlentangy River, O'Shaughnessy and Alum Creek reservoirs, plus Knox County wells
- Delaware City14% of residentsOlentangy River (blended with deep wells)
- Columbus Public Water System6% of residentsScioto River (Griggs & O'Shaughnessy), Hoover Reservoir on Big Walnut Ck, plus wells
- Marysville City0% of residentsMill Creek via Marysville Reservoir (Raymond Rd) + wells
Hospitals, fire stations and more
Inside Berlin Township, Delaware County's boundary: 1 fire or EMS station, 6 public schools, 2 public charging sites, 1 Superfund site and 14 spill cases. Press a pin or a name for its whole record and its source.
Fire and EMS stations (1)
-
Berlin Township Fire Department Station 390Delaware
- Address
- 2708 Lackey Old State Road, Delaware, OH 43015
- Coordinates
- 40.24013, -82.98783
USGS National Map structures (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
Source: USGS National Map structures (most Ohio records last updated 2019 to 2022), checked against the Columbus and Cleveland station lists. The department that answers a call is set by jurisdiction and mutual aid, not by distance.
Public schools (6)
-
Arrowhead Elementary School4 of 5 stars · Lewis Center
- Address
- 2385 Hollenback Rd, Lewis Center, OH 43035
- School district
- Olentangy Local School District
- Kind (NCES)
- Regular School
- Students, 2023-24
- 756
- Teachers (full-time equivalent)
- 33.63
- Report card, 2025-26
- 4 of 5 stars
- Performance index
- 88.5%
- Ohio building IRN
- 132233
- NCES school ID
- 390467601421
NCES school record ↗ Ohio School Report Card ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Cheshire Elementary4 of 5 stars · Delaware
- Address
- 2681 Gregory Rd, Delaware, OH 43015
- School district
- Olentangy Local School District
- Kind (NCES)
- Regular School
- Students, 2023-24
- 833
- Teachers (full-time equivalent)
- 38.73
- Report card, 2025-26
- 4 of 5 stars
- Performance index
- 93.1%
- Ohio building IRN
- 010163
- NCES school ID
- 390467605485
NCES school record ↗ Ohio School Report Card ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Olentangy Berlin High School4.5 of 5 stars · Delaware
- Address
- 3140 Berlin Station Rd, Delaware, OH 43015
- School district
- Olentangy Local School District
- Kind (NCES)
- Regular School
- Students, 2023-24
- 1,740
- Teachers (full-time equivalent)
- 73.84
- Report card, 2025-26
- 4.5 of 5 stars
- Performance index
- 93%
- Four-year graduation rate
- 97.6%
- Ohio building IRN
- 016941
- NCES school ID
- 390467605968
NCES school record ↗ Ohio School Report Card ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Olentangy Berlin Middle School5 of 5 stars · Delaware
- Address
- 2500 Piatt Rd, Delaware, OH 43015
- School district
- Olentangy Local School District
- Kind (NCES)
- Regular School
- Students, 2023-24
- 807
- Teachers (full-time equivalent)
- 41.26
- Report card, 2025-26
- 5 of 5 stars
- Performance index
- 93.2%
- Ohio building IRN
- 020064
- NCES school ID
- 390467610863
NCES school record ↗ Ohio School Report Card ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Peachblow Crossing Elementary4.5 of 5 stars · Lewis Center
- Address
- 4222 Piatt Rd, Lewis Center, OH 43035
- School district
- Olentangy Local School District
- Report card, 2025-26
- 4.5 of 5 stars
- Performance index
- 94.7%
- Ohio building IRN
- 021201
- NCES school ID
- 390467610892
NCES school record ↗ Ohio School Report Card ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Shale Meadows Elementary School5 of 5 stars · Lewis Center
- Address
- 4458 North Road, Lewis Center, OH 43035
- School district
- Olentangy Local School District
- Kind (NCES)
- Regular School
- Students, 2023-24
- 714
- Teachers (full-time equivalent)
- 30.26
- Report card, 2025-26
- 5 of 5 stars
- Performance index
- 94.5%
- Ohio building IRN
- 019480
- NCES school ID
- 390467606113
NCES school record ↗ Ohio School Report Card ↗ Street map and directions ↗
Source: NCES EDGE public school locations 2024-25 and Common Core of Data 2023-24 (type, students, teachers); Ohio School Report Cards 2025-26 (Department of Education and Workforce), matched by name within the district.
Public EV charging (2)
-
COUGHLIN KIA DC FAST 2 DC fast2 DC fast · Lewis Center
- Address
- 5342 Columbus Pike, Lewis Center, OH 43035
- Ports
- 2 DC fast
- Plugs
- CCS, CHAdeMO
- Network
- ChargePoint Network
- Hours
- 24 hours daily
- Phone
- 888-758-4389
Station Locator (NREL) ↗ Alternative Fuels Data Center (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Ravines at Meadow Ridge6 Level 2 · Sunbury
- Address
- 166 Caldy Knoll Dr, Sunbury, OH 43074
- Ports
- 6 Level 2
- Plugs
- J1772
- Network
- LOOP
- Hours
- 24 hours daily
- Price
- $1 activation fee; $0.35 per kWh
- Phone
- 888-385-6671
Station Locator (NREL) ↗ Alternative Fuels Data Center (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
Source: NREL Alternative Fuels Data Center station list (May 2026), public and open stations, the posts at one address counted as one site.
Superfund sites (1)
-
Delaware Mercury SpillSuperfund program · Lewis Center
- Address
- 435 Dogwood Terrace, Lewis Center, OH 43035
- County
- Delaware County
- Status
- Superfund program site, not on the National Priorities List
- EPA program ID
- OHN000508747
- EPA registry ID
- 110014404545
EPA facility record ↗ EPA Facility Registry Service (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
Source: EPA Facility Registry Service, Superfund (SEMS) and National Priorities List sites. Many program sites were assessed and needed no cleanup.
Spills reported since 2021 (14)
-
Oil Motor / Lube Oil / Vehicle2025-09-17 · Berlin Twp
- Reported
- 2025-09-17
- What spilled
- Oil Motor / Lube Oil / Vehicle
- Largest amount reported
- 2 gallons
- Where
- Berlin Twp, Delaware County
- Ohio EPA district office
- CDO
- Ohio EPA case number
- 2509EPA0001562
Ohio EPA spill reports (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Fuel Diesel / Diesel Fuel (Vehicle On Or Off Road)2024-12-21 · Berlin Twp
- Reported
- 2024-12-21
- What spilled
- Fuel Diesel / Diesel Fuel (Vehicle On Or Off Road)
- Where
- Berlin Twp, Delaware County
- Ohio EPA district office
- CDO
- Ohio EPA case number
- 2412EPA0002057
Ohio EPA spill reports (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Fuel Diesel / Diesel Fuel (Vehicle On Or Off Road)2024-12-03 · Berlin Twp
- Reported
- 2024-12-03
- What spilled
- Fuel Diesel / Diesel Fuel (Vehicle On Or Off Road)
- Where
- Berlin Twp, Delaware County
- Ohio EPA district office
- CDO
- Ohio EPA case number
- 2412EPA0001964
Ohio EPA spill reports (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Fuel Diesel / Diesel Fuel (Vehicle On Or Off Road)2024-07-26 · Berlin Twp
- Reported
- 2024-07-26
- What spilled
- Fuel Diesel / Diesel Fuel (Vehicle On Or Off Road)
- Largest amount reported
- 10 gallons
- Where
- Berlin Twp, Delaware County
- Ohio EPA district office
- CDO
- Ohio EPA case number
- 2407EPA0001282
Ohio EPA spill reports (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Fuel Diesel / Diesel Fuel (Vehicle On Or Off Road)2024-07-02 · Berlin Twp
- Reported
- 2024-07-02
- What spilled
- Fuel Diesel / Diesel Fuel (Vehicle On Or Off Road)
- Largest amount reported
- 40 gallons
- Where
- Berlin Twp, Delaware County
- Ohio EPA district office
- CDO
- Ohio EPA case number
- 2407EPA0001112
Ohio EPA spill reports (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Material Unknown2023-11-20 · Berlin Twp
- Reported
- 2023-11-20
- What spilled
- Material Unknown; Fuel Diesel / Diesel Fuel (Vehicle On Or Off Road)
- Largest amount reported
- 35 gallons
- Where
- Berlin Twp, Delaware County
- Ohio EPA district office
- CDO
- Ohio EPA case number
- 2311EPA0001959
Ohio EPA spill reports (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Oil Transformer Non Pcb2023-10-23 · Berlin Twp
- Reported
- 2023-10-23
- What spilled
- Oil Transformer Non Pcb
- Where
- Berlin Twp, Delaware County
- Ohio EPA district office
- CDO
- Ohio EPA case number
- 2310EPA0001812
Ohio EPA spill reports (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Oil Petroleum Not Otherwise Specified (Nos)2023-03-13 · Delaware Twp
- Reported
- 2023-03-13
- What spilled
- Oil Petroleum Not Otherwise Specified (Nos)
- Where
- Delaware Twp, Delaware County
- Ohio EPA district office
- CDO
- Ohio EPA case number
- 2303EPA0000379
Ohio EPA spill reports (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2)2022-08-12 · Berlin Twp
- Reported
- 2022-08-12
- What spilled
- Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2)
- Largest amount reported
- 20 gallons
- Where
- Berlin Twp, Delaware County
- Ohio EPA district office
- CDO
- Ohio EPA case number
- 2208EPA0001227
Ohio EPA spill reports (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Fuel Gasoline ( 25% Ethanol Not E85)2022-06-01 · Berlin Twp
- Reported
- 2022-06-01
- What spilled
- Fuel Gasoline ( 25% Ethanol Not E85)
- Where
- Berlin Twp, Delaware County
- Ohio EPA district office
- CDO
- Ohio EPA case number
- 2206EPA0000808
Ohio EPA spill reports (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Oil Hydraulic Fluid(S)2022-04-01 · Berlin Twp
- Reported
- 2022-04-01
- What spilled
- Oil Hydraulic Fluid(S)
- Where
- Berlin Twp, Delaware County
- Ohio EPA district office
- CDO
- Ohio EPA case number
- 2204EPA0000455
Ohio EPA spill reports (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Oil Transformer Non Pcb2021-03-25 · Berlin Twp
- Reported
- 2021-03-25
- What spilled
- Oil Transformer Non Pcb
- Largest amount reported
- 44 gallons
- Where
- Berlin Twp, Delaware County
- Ohio EPA district office
- CDO
- Ohio EPA case number
- 2103EPA0000397
Ohio EPA spill reports (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Sewage Human Reached water2021-03-03 · Berlin Twp
- Reported
- 2021-03-03
- What spilled
- Sewage Human
- Largest amount reported
- 400,000 gallons
- Reached a waterway
- 21 - Alum Creek
- Where
- Berlin Twp, Delaware County
- Ohio EPA district office
- CDO
- Ohio EPA case number
- 2103EPA0000277
Ohio EPA spill reports (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
-
Sewage Sludge / Biosolids2026-06-17 · Brown Twp
- Reported
- 2026-06-17
- What spilled
- Sewage Sludge / Biosolids
- Where
- Brown Twp, Delaware County
- Ohio EPA district office
- CDO
- Ohio EPA case number
- 2606EPA0001083
Ohio EPA spill reports (source) ↗ Street map and directions ↗
Source: Ohio EPA emergency response spill reports, 2021 to September 2026, one point per case where Ohio EPA placed it. A report is what the caller or responder recorded; amounts are often blank or estimated.
Its ZIP codes
Each ZIP code that touches Berlin Township, Delaware County, with the share of its residents who live here and the same headline figures as the ZIP page.
Local government
Who holds office in Berlin Township, Delaware County, how its elections and ballot issues came out, and the state auditor's record.
Money issues on the ballot since 2019: 3 of 3 passed.
Ballot issues
| Date | Issue | For | Against | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-11-05 | Issue: Berlin Township - Proposed Tax Levy - Renewal - Fire - 2.98mills/5yrs - Comm 2025 | 3,597 | 2,697 | Passed (57.15% for) |
| 2021-11-02 | Issue: Tax Levy - Renewal - Fire - Berlin Township - 2.95 mills/5 yrs - Comm 2022 | 1,361 | 527 | Passed (72.09% for) |
| 2019-11-05 | Issue: Berlin Township - Tax Levy - Renewal - Fire - 2.98 mills / 5 years, Commencing 2020 | 685 | 198 | Passed (77.58% for) |
Elections for office
| Date | Office | Candidates and votes |
|---|---|---|
| 2023-11-07 | Township Trustee | Ronald Bullard 3,293, 100.0% |
| 2023-11-07 | Township Fiscal Officer | Jeffrey H. Jordan (WI) 66, 22.45%; Unqualified Write-Ins (WI) 228, 77.55% |
| 2021-11-02 | Township Trustee | Ken O'Brien 1,194, 52.41%; Meghan Raehll 1,084, 47.59% |
| 2019-11-05 | Township Trustee | Ronald Bullard 695, 100.0% |
| 2019-11-05 | Township Fiscal Officer | Claudia E. Smith 697, 100.0% |
Winners in bold. Results from the county board of elections' official canvass unless marked.
Auditor of State record
- No fiscal caution, watch or emergency on the Auditor of State's lists.
- Agreed Upon Procedures, 2023 to 2024, released 2025-12-30
The county
Delaware County: 11 ZIP codes, 26 cities, villages and townships, 214,126 people.
Nearby places
Quick answers
What county is Berlin Township, Ohio in?
Berlin Township, Delaware County is a township in Delaware County, Ohio, with 7,768 residents.
When was Berlin Township, Ohio founded?
Berlin Township, Delaware County was settled 1805; incorporated 1820-01-08. Founders on record: Asa Scott, township treasurer under Berkshire Township, who petitioned the county commissioners and suggested the name. Source
What ZIP code is Berlin Township, Ohio?
Berlin Township, Delaware County is served by ZIP codes 43021, 43035 and 43015; 43021 holds the largest share of its residents.
Where does Berlin Township, Ohio get its water?
The main water source for Berlin Township, Delaware County (Del-co Water Company, Inc.): Alum Creek Reservoir intake at the Scott plant, Lewis Center Rd at Africa, Orange Township.
Cite this page
Cite this page as:
Cracked Buckeye, "Berlin Township, Delaware County", https://crackedbuckeye.com/place/berlin-township-delaware-county/, built 2026-10-31, accessed [date].
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