Peaches and past times: Berlin’s juiciest tradition

BERLIN, Md. – From farm to fork, Hale peaches are more than just produce – they’re a point of pride and a cornerstone of history for the town of Berlin.

Taylor House Museum Executive Director Dr. Melissa Reid explored the roots of Hale peaches ahead of the 17th annual Berlin Peach Festival.

“We sell peaches, we have drinks for sale, we have entertainment – and everything that is spent at the Peach Festival comes right back to the museum and helps us tell the stories of Berlin,” she said.

According to Reid, it all started with a woman named Eliza Jane Lynch Harrison, who lived off her Civil War widow’s pension and lent her brother, Joseph Harrison, the money he needed to plant the seeds of what would become a peach empire.

“There was a basket factory making baskets to put the peaches in. The railroad came right through – actually right behind us. There was an ice plant to keep the peaches cold. They hired a lot of people to pick the peaches and manage the orchards. So it was integral to Berlin’s economy,” she said.

She added: “Berlin was the location of the largest mail-order fruit orchard company in the entire world – Harrison Orchards. They were cutting-edge, developing new strains of peaches and all sorts of things like that. They had a gathering of other orchard growers and other interested people, probably like a working convention, and they called it a peach festival that took place in 1913.”

Decades later, peaches remain central to Berlin’s identity, with the 17th annual Peach Festival drawing locals and visitors alike. Reid said you can’t miss Buckingham Presbyterian Church’s pies or Chesapeake Bay Farms’ peach ice cream. But one dessert stands out as particularly peachy.

Baked Dessert Café owner and head baker Robin Tomaselli said the featured dessert had to meet two criteria: it had to include peaches, and it had to be old-school.

“Well, we are actually home of the official dessert of Berlin, which is the original peach dumpling. We’ve been in business for almost 16 years now,” Tomaselli said.

She explained that before opening the café, her team spent about three months developing the signature dessert.

“We worked for about three months to develop the peach dumpling, and then by proclamation of the mayor in 2010, they proclaimed the peach dumpling the official dessert of Berlin. So we’ve been baking them ever since,” she said.

Tomaselli shared, “it’s going to be a beautiful weekend and it will be a perfect day to be in Berlin. I know all the stores, not just us, gear up for the festival and it all just be a fun day for everybody.”

The festival takes place Aug. 2 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dr. Reid recommends arriving early to ensure you get your peaches – they do sell out. It’s a peach-packed celebration you won’t want to miss.