Documentary History of American Water-works

Berrysburg

Berrysburg, Pennsylvania

Berrysburg was settled in 1819 and incorporated as a borough in 1869.

The Berrysburg Water Company was incorporated in 1850 to "bring and convey into the town of Berrysburg, by means of pipes, trunks, aqueduct, forcing pumps, or other machinery, some spring or stream of water from the neighborhood of said town." Peter Bordner, Henry C. Beshler, Jeremiah Harmer, David F. Hoffman, A. B. Sprout and John Miller were appointed as commissioners to form the company. The company hired Christian Orndorff (or Orendorf) to install lead pipes in a trench dug by Michael Sharen. Water was forced through the pipes using a water ram, but the system reportedly only worked for two days before being discontinued.

There currently appears to be no public water supply in the Borough of Berrysburg.

References
1850 An act to authorize the governor to incorporate the Berrysburg water company, in Dauphin county. April 19, 1850.

1926 History of Berrysburg and surrounding community, by Lykens Valley Vocational School Class in American History
This company planned to supply Berrysburg with water from a spring on the farm now occupied by Mrs. Daniel Lower. It was to be forced into town by means of a ram. On September 7th. 1850 the Board of the Company decided to accept the offer of Christian Orendorf to lay the pipes (which were made of lead) for $150.00 per perch. At the meeting September 10th, they accepted Michael Sharen's offer for ditching at 1 3/8 cents per foot. The last trace of the company tells us that water was supplied to the town for a short period of time. The story goes that water was delivered on the Commons for two days and then for some reason or other discontinued.