Shartlesville, PA

Shartlesville is a census-designated place in Upper Bern Township at the south side of Blue Mountain, just below Interstate 78 and along Wolf Creek. The settlement dates to 1765 and takes its name from the Shartle family of farmers and innkeepers, especially Peter Shartle. By 1887 it had public houses, a church, cigar factories, and several retail and trade businesses, while the surrounding township remained largely agricultural.

The present-day community map centers on Upper Bern Township Park on North Fifth Street, a six-acre site with pavilions, a band shelter, and a playground. A Veterans Memorial sits within the park. The Shartlesville Community Fire Company covers Upper Bern and western Tilden Township, with mutual aid from neighboring companies. The former Roadside America miniature attraction operated here from 1953 until 2020, and the Shartlesville Hotel remains part of the place's historic story. Between the mountain, the interstate, farm roads, and township services, Shartlesville functions as a small crossroads community in northern Berks County.