Amish Homes

Inside an Amish Home: Swartzentruber Amish Kitchen

Inside an Amish Home: Swartzentruber Amish Kitchen

Following up last week’s photo of a Michigan Amish kitchen, we have another shot courtesy of Karen Johnson-Weiner.  I think you’ll notice quite a difference between this week’s and last week’s photos. This one was taken in a Swartzentruber Amish kitchen.  Swartzentruber Amish are among the plainest and most conservative Amish groups: I’ve zoomed in on a couple of bits.  The utensils: And the stove:…

Inside an Amish Home: An Amish Kitchen

I think you’ll notice quite a contrast between this photo and last week’s Swiss Amish home photos.  This was taken in a Michigan Amish home by Karen Johnson-Weiner: Comparing these photos you can really see the diverse material standards of different Amish groups. I’ve zoomed in on a couple parts to make things more visible: Notice anything familiar? Also if you missed it, inside a…

Inside an Amish Home: Swiss Amish

Following up last week’s look inside a New York Amish living room, we have a couple more photos of an Amish home interior, courtesy of SUNY-Potsdam anthropology professor Karen Johnson-Weiner. These shots were taken in a home in the Swiss Amish settlement in Clarion County, Pennsylvania. Swiss Amish tend to be fairly plain, and I think this interior reflects that. A few things jumped out…

Springford, Ontario Amish settlement

A reader in Canada has shared some photos and background on the small settlement located near the village of Springford in Ontario. The community consists of 4 church districts and was founded in 1954.  It is apparently quite conservative, using outhouses and open-front buggies and oil lamps for lighting, and blankets used to keep warm in winter. One particular point of interest in this community,…

Basements in Amish homes

Most Amish homes have a sizable basement.  The basement is an important part of the typical Amish home for a number of reasons.  The basement of course makes a good storage area.   Amish families often keep their stores of canned goods in the basement. The basement also offers living space.  Amish in warmer climes may ‘move’ downstairs to the basement in summertime, eating meals and…

Amish Lighting

From Living Without Electricity (by Stephen Scott and Kenneth Pellman): “The majority of Old Order Amish use lamps that burn “white,” or clear, gasoline or naphtha.  The fuel tank in these lamps is filled with compressed air.  The air forces the fuel to the generator tube, where it is vaporized, and then to the mantles, where it is burned. Mantles are loosely woven fabric bags…

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Photos from the Martins in Poland

It’s the ‘long weekend’ in Poland (a combination of the traditional May 1st communist worker’s holiday and Poland’s May 3 constitution day), and I’ve just paid another visit to my friends Jacob and Anita Martin, whom I’ve written about a few times on the blog. The Martins, who’ve lived in Poland since 1993, struggled a bit at first, but have been able to build themselves…

Late night fun around the Amish kitchen table

In addition to sports, the Amish also enjoy good old-fashioned family-oriented games that can be played around the kitchen table. Before moving over to Abe and Rachel’s last week, I got in a nice round of ‘Life on the Farm’ with Daniel’s family.  The kids love it and wouldn’t let me leave without a game.  This neat little Monopoly knock-off pits would-be farmers in a…

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Interview Excerpt: An Amish builder on working moms, mortgages, and making car payments

One thing that I admire about the Amish is the value they place in maintaining a spirit of humility. When the idea comes up in conversation that the Amish are getting something right—for example, by the way that they live or the values they profess and adhere to–they are usually quick to deflect attention, reminding that ‘human nature is universal’, or that ‘we’re human too.’ …

Advice worth heeding

The lanes leading to the homes of Swartzentruber Amish are often pretty rough-looking.  They are usually dirt, with perhaps a few stones mixed in.  A dirt lane can be interesting after a downpour. This is the first time I’ve ever seen this type of warning.  I imagine the families who live on this farm in Ohio have had their share of mud-stuck vehicles. This reminded…