Birdsboro, Pennsylvania
Birdsboro is a borough of 5,116 people in Berks County, Pennsylvania, founded in 1740.
Why visit Birdsboro
Townapedia lists 6 museums and landmarks, 11 parks and trails, 6 places to eat and 3 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Daniel Boone Homestead and John Bishop House.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 85°F; January lows average 20°F, and about 26 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Birdsboro
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Birdsboro
Birdsboro is a borough in Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located along the Schuylkill River 8 miles (13 km) southeast of Reading. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 5,106. Birdsboro's economy had historically been rooted in large foundries and machine shops, none of which remain in operation today.
From the Wikipedia article Birdsboro, Pennsylvania (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do3
Museums and landmarks6
Daniel Boone Homestead
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.6 mi
Historic house in Pennsylvania, United States
John Bishop House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.3 mi
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985
Louis J. Mascaro Automotive Museum
Museum · 0.4 mi
Adults $15; no children under 10 without special permission
325 East Main Street, Birdsboro
Su 10:00-16:00
Mordecai Lincoln House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.8 mi
Listed on the NRHP in Pennsylvania
Griesemer-Brown Mill Complex
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.1 mi
Thompson Mill
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.0 mi
Parks, trails and playgrounds11
Restaurants and cafes6
Reading Coffee Company
Cafe · Breakfast, Coffee Shop · 0.5 mi
Coffee shop. Sells coffee beans and drinks, breakfast options, and wine.
316 West Main Street, Birdsboro
Mo-We,Sa-Su 07:00-16:00; Th-Fr 07:00-17:00
Fork and Ale
Restaurant · Burger · 1.5 mi
1281 East Main Street, Douglassville
Mo-Tu off; We-Th 16:00-22:00; Fr-Sa 12:00-22:00; Su 10:00-21:00
Italian Delite Restaurant & Pizzeria
Restaurant · Pizza
113 East Main Street, Birdsboro
Mo-Th 10:00-21:00; Fr-Sa 10:00-22:00; Su 11:00-21:00
BeBe's Kitchen
Restaurant
101 West 1st Street, Birdsboro
Mo off; Tu-Su 07:00-14:00
History
Birdsboro was named for ironmaker William Bird, who established a forge on Hay Creek about 1740. His son Marcus founded Hopewell Furnace in 1771, which was the largest domestic producer of iron by the time of the American Revolution. The Schuylkill Canal, running parallel to the river, was completed in 1827. The Philadelphia and Reading Railroad, constructed to haul anthracite coal, was completed in 1843. Edward and George Brooke, descendants of the Birds, established the Birdsboro Iron Foundry Company (1867), which became Birdsboro Steel Company (1905). The principal employer for 120 years, the steel plant closed in 1988, following a lengthy strike.
The borough was created in 1872, from sections of Union and Robeson townships. Its population increased slowly from 2,261 in 1890, to 2,264 in 1900, to 2,930 in 1910. The population was 5,064 at the 2000 census.
Armorcast Corporation built a plant in the borough in 1944, which manufactured tanks for World War II and the Korean War. The plant closed in 1988.
Suburban housing developments such as Mansion Heights, built on the hills overlooking the valley in the 1980s and 1990s, increased the borough's population markedly. Still, the local Episcopal church closed in 2002, and the Roman Catholic parish built a new church and school outside the borough, in Douglassville, in 2005.
From the History section of Birdsboro, Pennsylvania on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship8
St. Michael's Episcopal Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places
Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church
Church · Roman Catholic · 1.0 mi
905 Chestnut Street, Douglassville
Shopping1
Gas and EV charging2
Schools, colleges and libraries13
Daniel Boone Area Intermediate Cntr
School · 4.5 mi
200 Boone Drive, Douglassville
Map of Birdsboro
50 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 37°F | 20°F | 3.4 in | 4.7 in |
| Feb | 41°F | 22°F | 3.0 in | 12.4 in |
| Mar | 49°F | 30°F | 4.4 in | 3.3 in |
| Apr | 62°F | 39°F | 3.5 in | 0.3 in |
| May | 72°F | 50°F | 3.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 80°F | 59°F | 4.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 85°F | 64°F | 5.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 82°F | 62°F | 4.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 76°F | 55°F | 4.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 64°F | 44°F | 4.2 in | 0.5 in |
| Nov | 53°F | 34°F | 3.5 in | 1.2 in |
| Dec | 42°F | 27°F | 4.1 in | 3.9 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Hopewell Morgantown (8 mi away), rain and snow from Morgantown, NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Berks County has had 13 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2020-03-30: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2016-03-23: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm (Snowstorm)
- 2012-10-29: Hurricane Sandy (Hurricane)
- 2011-09-12: Tropical Storm Lee (Flood)
- 2011-09-08: Remnants Of Tropical Storm Lee (Flood)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Reading Municipal Airport (RDG) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 12 miles away.
- Amity Gardens 4 mi east, about 7 min by car
- Flying Hills 6 mi west, about 9 min by car
- Stony Creek Mills 7 mi northwest, about 11 min by car
- Reading 8 mi northwest, about 13 min by car
- Elverson 8 mi south, about 12 min by car
- Pottstown 9 mi east, about 14 min by car
- Morgantown 9 mi southwest, about 14 min by car
- Oley 9 mi north, about 14 min by car
- Wyomissing 10 mi northwest, about 15 min by car
- Pughtown 10 mi southeast, about 16 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Birdsboro, Berks County, Pa. 1890., T. M. Fowler, artist; A. E. Downs, lithographer., Public domain
- St Mike Birdsboro, Smallbones, CC0
- Daniel Boone's Birthplace, The original uploader was CJKpi at English Wikipedia ., Attribution
- Mordecai Lincoln 1733, Smallbones, CC0
- John Bishop House, Smallbones, CC0
- Brown Mill BerksCo PA, Smallbones, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Thompson Mill, BerksCo PA, Shuvaev, CC BY-SA 3.0
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