Hamlet of Berne

Hamlet seen from Irish Hill

Location

The hamlet of Berne, the largest hamlet in the Town, is located at the intersection of New York State Route 443 and New York State Route 156.

The Berne Town Hall is located here in what was once the Upper Hotel. The same building houses the Berne Public Library. Upstairs is the Berne Museum with "ten rooms of history" operated by the Berne Historical Society. The Post Office is next door.

The Berne-Knox-Westerlo Central School is at the west end of the hamlet.

History

Before the Post Office was located here in the latter half of the 19th century it was called "Bernville." In the 19th and first half of the 20th century it had a number of stores, up to three hotels, several blacksmith shops, a funeral home, cabinet makers, harness makers, etc.; now it almost entirely residential.

1814 Berne fire

Our Heritage has a report on the 1814 Berne fire:

Berne hamlet houses

The hamlet of Berne is fortunate to have a great many historic homes and buildings. Click on Berne hamlet houses for a partial listing. Please add your contribution to the list.

Churches

Schools

Berne School No. 1 a one room school in the in the center of the Hamlet of Berne, was closed when the central school was built in 1932.
Berne-Knox-Westerlo Central School District was created in 1930 and the school opened in 1932.
Woodside School a one room school located on Rock Road
Select School, a private school in the hamlet of Berne, was organized in 1882.
Bradt Hollow School, District No. 17 One room school house established in 1813 Joined Berne school in 1932.

Businesses

Hotels and Taverns in the hamlet of Berne

The hamlet of Berne was once the thriving center of a prosperous farming community. Since travel from distant farms took a long time, there were numerous hotels and inns in the hamlet so the farmers could shop and stay the night before beginning the long journey home the next day.

Mills

Hart's Mill
Lumber Mill
Weidman's Sawmill
Weidman's Grist Mill

Blacksmiths

Cemeteries

Photo Gallery

Photos of the hamlet of Berne

Intersection in winter
Main Street
Main Street in 1913
Main Street in 1914
Berne, NY: Main Street, Looking East - Postmark March 20, 1912 - card courtesy of Marijo Dougherty
Looking down towards the intersection of route 443(old 43) and Knox road
Love the advertisement across the road, the only thing free is B135Berne
Main Street, Berne, N. Y.
View from State Road Berne, N. Y., in the Helderbergs
Original wooden dam in the hamlet of Berne
View of Berne
Freight Truck
Warren and Bernice Wood in their new car
The Raleigh man delivering household and other products door to door
Berne Brass Band
Below the Wooden Bridge in Berne
Rte. 43 in the Hamlet of Berne
Elsie, Olin and Clara in back seat, Howard in front with Charlie driving
WW II Honor Roll
Flood just below where Rock Road comes out on 443
Delivery by mules pulling a tanker. Coal oil was used for many things including oil lamps.
Berne-Knox School Bus
Former home of Milton and Genie Hart, man on the right is Elias Reinhart
Home of Jacob Sand Joslin and Mary Rine Joslin off of Switskill Rd.
The Wood's Farm on the flats below Berne
First 4 years of registrations
This was a steam powered rock crusher that was used when building the road to Gallupville from West Berne. This was located across from the Woodlawn Cemetery where the town transfer station is presently located.
Installing the first concrete water pipe from the Berne Dam under route 43(443) to the Berne Mill. Portions of this pipe still exist today.
Articles from the Times Union in 1959 about the "Beast of Berne"
Building the bridge on route 43(443) just past the present town park
Main Street before the fire in Feb. 1914 Berne fire
House of James Patten(1906) Main St. Berne "Elm Terrace." Destroyed by fire in Feb. 1914 Berne fire.
Berne School House 1, Photo courtesy of Allan Deitz
Threshing Machine operating on either the Ball or Shultes Farm in 1909, Photo courtesy of Allan Deitz
Hazel Ball on top of winter wood supply with Alberta Ball. Photo courtesy of Allan Deitz
Dietz/Ball/Wright Farm (Maple Ridge Farm)tending the sheep. Photo courtesy of Allan Deitz
Berry picking, Ida Sholtes 2nd from the left with the bonnet on, Alta Sholtes wearing the big hat. Photo courtesy of Allan Deitz
Picking berries, L-R Lois(Ball)Baily and Gertrude(Ball)Deitz. Photo courtesy of Allan Deitz
Dr.and Mrs. Chester Traver, Minister of the Lutheran Church in Berne around 1914. Photo courtesy of Allan Deitz
Swimming in the Switzskill Creek in 1915
Fire in the village of Berne Feb. 1914. Photo courtesy of Allan Deitz
Berry picking in 1915, photo courtesy of Allan Deitz
Albert Bassler, from the collection of Elsie Ward
Bassler Farm on Rte 43 between Berne and West Berne, from the collection of Elsie Ward
Charles and Olin with a team, from the collection of Elsie Ward
Charles and Elsie Bassler with Grandaughter Elsie From the collection of Elsie Ward
from the collection of Elsie Ward
from the collection of Elsie Ward
Bridge in 1906, from the Willard Osterhout collection
Lower falls near the lower mill pond which was used by the Simmons axe factory and later a lumber mill, from the Willard Osterhout collection
A view of the West end of Berne
Fred Andrews with turkeys on the Wood's farm located on the flats below Berne, from the Willard Osterhout collection
10th Battalion, Fort Ethan Allen,passing through and camping outside of the village of Berne in 1913, from the Willard Osterhout collection
Future Farmers of America, from the Chester Zimmer collection
Method used to press bales of hay on many early farms, from the Chester Zimmer collectiion
Members of the AMVET'S Post 19
Members in a Memorial Day parade in Knox in 1954
Memorial Day Parade 1955
1954 Memorial Day parade in Berne
The Bolster family returning to Berne
Cutting ice on the Mill Pond in Berne
The new WW II Memorial at the Berne Town Park
The Shultes home in the village of Berne
This was once the Blade Home, it was located on the corner of Tabor Rd. and Rte. 43(443)
Intersection of 443 and 156 in the Village of Berne during the hurricane, photo by Peter Bassler
The bridge in Berne when it was a steel bridge
The caption on this photo claims this was the first car in Berne
The Scrafford farm was next door to the highschool
Claude Scrafford plowing
Ralph and Charles Scrafford showing where the milk was picked up
The construction of the road below Agway known as Sand Rd.
Law Office,Post Office, Fire Station and now a private garage
Berne plow on Rte. 43 in 1925
Winter on Main St.after the fire in 1914
A lot of snow in 1914. The ladies seem to be all dressed up for snow shoveling
Kids at the bottom of Irish Hill Rd. are all ready for some sledding
Only a foundation remains after the fire in Feb. 1914
Looking down Main St. toward the bridge from Irish Hill Rd. after the 1914 fire
A group gathers to discuss the fire. Notice the empty lots behind them where the buildings burned down.
A portable stone crusher used to build roads around the Berne area, courtesy of Willard Osterhout
Horses moving the stone crusher, courtesy of Willard Osterhout
Mildred and charles.jpg

Mildred and Charles Bogardus in 1921, photo courtesy of Willard Osterhout