[1] Berlin was home to the Nashaway, and Sachem Sholan deeded part of the town's land to settlers in 1643.
Incorporated in 1812, the town was a residential and agricultural community, growing mixed hay grains and raising cattle.
The lot, a small piece of land facing the Meeting House Common in the center of Berlin, was given to the town by Artemas Barnes.
The Memorial Hall, on the first floor, included photographs of nearly all the local soldiers lost in the Civil War.
Later the photos of other Civil War veterans were added until likenesses of nearly 100 local men were collected there.
Meetings of Boy and Girl Scouts and local youth baseball and soccer groups also are held in the building.
The project of refurbishing and providing ADA-accessible access to the second floor of the 1870 Town Hall was completed in 2019.
Berlin is bordered by Hudson and Marlborough to the east, Bolton to the north, Clinton and Boylston to the west, and Northborough to the south.
Berlin, like many small New England municipalities, uses an open town meeting as its form of government.
Day-to-day operations are handled by a town administrator, who is appointed by a three member Select Board.