Berlin Charter Township Historical Society

03/08/2026

We had so much fun with the last "Guess where this is?" 🤔photo, let's do it again! Can you guess the location of this photo? 📍 Bonus points if you know WHEN it was taken! (Sorry, there are no prizes for this game, other than the satisfaction of being right. 😀)

02/12/2026

We know we have LOTS of beautiful historical homes in Berlin Township, and many of our "old home" owners have some beautiful antique furnishings. Well, now the City of Monroe is offering you an opportunity to learn how to safely strip and refinish old house woodwork and antique furniture WITHOUT ruining the history! It's free and looks like an interesting event!

ONE WEEK AWAY 📣

Join the City of Monroe’s Historic District Commission for a night of sawdust and storytelling during Your Heritage Home: Refinishing Old House Woodwork & Furniture

Learn from local pro Scott Kish on how to strip and refinish wood without ruining the history. This session includes a list of must-have tools, step-by-step instructions you can use at home, and an opportunity to get your questions answered.

Come learn how to preserve the character that makes Monroe’s homes one-of-a-kind.

📅 Wednesday, February 18 at 7:00 PM
📍 Council Chambers, City Hall (120 East First Street)
💰 Free!

Let’s keep Monroe’s story alive, one grain at a time. 🪵✨

https://www.monroemi.gov/news/what_s_new/refinishing_old_house_woodwork_workshop

01/10/2026

📍 Location Revealed! Thanks for Playing Along! 🎉

Thanks to everyone who commented and/or shared our recent cover photo. We hope you had fun guessing the location! 🤔 We enjoyed reading the comments and some of the memories shared. Several of you were spot-on in your answers!

Below is the cover image and a few others to help you "see" where it was. The cover photo shows the side view of the building that used to be Martin's Saloon (later renamed to "Martin's Place" when Prohibition was enacted). 🏛️ Those who stated that it was in the vicinity of the current salon (formerly the Newport Post Office from 1962-2002) were correct! ✅

Take a look at the captions of the attached photos to learn more. 📸 Thanks to our friends and followers for being active participants on our page! 🫶

11/28/2025

EXCITING NEWS! 🎉
We're thrilled to announce that the Berlin Charter Township Historical Society has been awarded an ADDITIONAL grant—this time from the Monroe County Museum System's Historical Projects Fund—to install a Monroe County Historical Marker at the Newport Community Church! 🏛️

This is our second marker award in recent months, and we're incredibly proud that by the end of 2026, all three of Berlin Township's late 19th-century church structures will be officially recognized for their historical significance with Monroe County Historical Markers! ⛪✨

This marker will celebrate three important pieces of our local history: the 138-year legacy of the Newport Community Church (built 1887), the Berlin Township School District No. 6 building (built 1919), and the historic L S & M S Railroad depot that was moved to the church property around 1939 after passenger rail service ended in Newport. 🚂

Together, these structures tell the story of Newport's development from a water-based settlement to a thriving railroad community, and they represent the educational and religious foundations that have served our area for over a century. 📚

A heartfelt thank you to the Newport Community Church council and its members for their partnership in co-sponsoring this project and their invaluable help in completing the grant application! 🙏
We're honored to have this opportunity to preserve and share the stories that shaped our community.

Stay tuned for updates as we work toward the marker's installation and dedication ceremony—likely in late summer or fall 2026! 📅

11/11/2025

Thank you to everyone who attended our "Farming in the Victorian Era" program last night at the South Rockwood Community Center. A special thank you to Ken Giorlando and Larissa Fleishman for an outstanding presentation! Below are some photos from the event. We appreciate the support of all of our members and followers and look forward to hosting future programs!

11/09/2025

🌾 REMINDER: This Monday night! Join us Monday, November 10 at 7pm at the South Rockwood Community Center as we step back in time to experience Victorian farm life through images and sounds. We'll also celebrate our local farming families and Berlin Township's agricultural heritage. FREE and open to all! 👨‍🌾👩‍🌾
📸 This historic photo from 1942 shows a woman tending chickens on a farm that once stood where Ritter School is now located. The back is labeled "Mrs. Faye M. Edmunds" - possibly the woman pictured? Do you recognize this farm or know anything about the Edmunds family? Let us know in the comments!

10/30/2025

We're grateful to The Monroe News for sharing the story of our upcoming event! 📰 Mark your calendars for Monday, November 10 at 7pm at the South Rockwood Community Center as we celebrate Berlin Township's rich farming heritage, past and present. 🌾🚜 It's not too late to share your family's farming photos with us! 📸

Explore Victorian-era farming at Berlin Township’s Nov. 10 event in Rockwood. Photos of local farm history are welcome for display.

10/21/2025

🌾 Do you remember...? 🌾
The smell of fresh-cut hay in the barn? Riding on the tractor with Dad or Grandpa? Helping Mom in the farm garden? Berry picking season? The county fair?
The Berlin Charter Township Historical Society wants to preserve YOUR family's farming memories! We know so many of you have incredible stories and photos tucked away in albums, shoeboxes, and attics, and we'd love to showcase them at our Farming History event on November 10th.
We're looking for photos like:
📷 Your grandparents' farm in the 1950s-70s
📷 Kids helping with chores or riding horses
📷 Old tractors, barns, or equipment
📷 Harvest time, planting season, or farm animals
📷 Family gatherings on the farm
A few examples of photos are included below to give you some ideas. Don't worry about quality - faded, creased, or black & white photos are PERFECT! We can scan them for you and return the originals safely.
Tag someone below who has great farming stories to share! 👇
📧 Send photos to [email protected] or send us a Facebook message to arrange for someone to scan it for you.

10/10/2025

Check out this great article featuring Newport native Brittany (Boggs) Hicks and her business, the Mitten Cafe and Bake Shop. The Mitten was featured in one of our newsletters when it first opened, and we are so thrilled to see how the business has grown and thrived to become an integral part of our community! Congratulations to Brittany and all the staff at the The Mitten Cafe & Bakeshop for the well-deserved recognition!

Today we’d like to introduce you to Brittany Hicks. Hi Brittany, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?To understand my journey of becoming the owner of The Mitten Cafe & Bakeshop in my small town of Newport, you have to start wit...

07/18/2025