Berea City PWS Water Company

Berea City PWS Municipal Water Report Info
Berea acquired its name through a coin toss in 1836. Reverend Henry O. Sheldon, a circuit rider who later became Berea's first postmaster, selected the name over another biblical location: Tabor (Mount Tabor). Baldwin called "heads" and history was made.

Information from the Berea Historical Society reveals that New Englander John Baldwin is credited as one of Berea's founding fathers. He's also recognized as a founder of the Baldwin institution, which eventually transformed into Baldwin-Wallace College.

John Baldwin thrived in Berea by successfully converting the sandstone along the Rocky River banks into a profitable industry beginning in the mid-1840s and continuing for nearly a century. His innovation, a machine to cut stone pieces into grindstones, would make "Berea stone" internationally renowned. These grindstones were utilized for sharpening tools in agricultural, domestic, and industrial settings. Building stone from Berea quarries was incorporated into prominent structures throughout the United States and abroad.

A festival named for the grindstones synonymous with Berea is celebrated every July 4th weekend. Early quarry workers in the mid-1800s were primarily of English, Scottish, and German heritage. Over time, German, Irish, and Polish immigrants arrived to work in the quarries.

By the 1940s, Carborundum grinding wheels had replaced grindstones, and concrete was becoming more widely used in construction. Berea's industrial significance had concluded.

Today, Berea moves forward with renewed conviction and purpose. The town finds itself with numerous opportunities to revitalize its economic future while preserving its historic past. Berea continues to be an excellent place to call home as it grows and evolves. Its most valuable assets include cultural diversity, education, entertainment, religious institutions, recreational facilities, commerce, and most importantly, its residents.