Amish in Maryland
Maryland has been called “America in miniature”, due to its wide range of geographical features, from the Apppalachian mountains in the west to the bays and waterways of the east.
Today there are only 3 Amish settlements in Maryland, scattered across the state.  I have visited 2 of them.  You may remember last year’s post on the Chesapeake Bay-area St. Mary’s County Amish community, a settlement with a number of traditional farms and businesses.
On my recent Amish trip, I also dropped by the Cecil County settlement, not far outside the village of Cecilton in the northeastern corner of the state. Â This settlement is Maryland’s smallest. Â The only signs of Amish I could find were two Amish farms and two buggy signs. Â There may be more Amish here, but they are well-hidden.
An unusual community is also found near the town of Oakland in the western Appalachian region.
Amish have never had a huge presence in Maryland. Â Though Maryland borders heavily-Amish Pennsylvania, one important historical factor prevented much early settlement in the state.
You can read more on these settlements in today’s Maryland Amish state guide entry (with today’s entry, we’re at the halfway mark with the State Guide-14 states are now available out of 28, not including Ontario).
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Erik, thanks for the post. I grew up in Maryland and was never aware of Amish settlements there.
From where do the Cecil County Amish orginate?
Great question Katie! I would love to know the answer to that too! I live very near this area..We also have some Amish & Mennonite families in Loveville MD… That is even closer to me… They have the best & most Beautiful flowers, veggies & furniture & crafts..Just purchased a new solar lighthouse for my front yard from a family that has a shop in Loveville… 🙂
Glad you enjoyed it Rhonda. Katie and Teresa they are either Lancater related or directly out of Lancaster. I believe it’s a direct daughter settlement though.
Erik regarding the Amish communities in Maryland, are there any signs or any attempts to commercialize those areas. Or are these communities pretty much just farming settlements. Richard,Lebanon,pa
Hi Richard there are quite a few Amish businesses in St. Mary’s County. You can see examples if you got to either of the first 2 links in this post. As to tourism, I did not see much if any there.
Carroll Co. MD Amish
Yesterday I drove by several Amish farms in the Lineboro, Md. area near the PA line off of Lineboro Rd. Men were working their farms with 4-mule teams.
They had vast acreage, and their properties and homes appeared meticulous.
Interesting, thanks for the info Erik. Hows the weather in poland right about now, and i know its not Amish related but would you ever put a few images from there on here at any point. I wouldnt mind seeing a few myself. Richard, Penn
Richard, I feel like I left spring behind in NC (and even PA) and returned to business as usual 🙂 Winter ought to hang on for another 4 to 6 weeks, then we’ll start to get into the clear.
I never thought of posting any Poland photos but maybe I should. Hey I wrote that then just remembered there are a few already on the blog from a few years back. There is a Beachy Amish family from Indiana that lives in the country outside Warsaw, and I’ve visited them a couple times.
You can see some shots I took of the countryside, I think I’m in one of them with some of the kiddos as well as their dad Jacob Martin. Also there is a Polish cow, which gives Polish milk:
https://amishamerica.com/photos-from-a-b/
Ill check that out Erik, thanks. Richard.Penn
I had no idea there were Amish in Maryland. Why do you think they “hide” from public view? If this were the case, might there be Amish “hidden” in other states , as well–states not noted for Amish communities? It is just a thought.
Tourism in small Amish communities
Kristin these are actually smaller communities; many Amish would prefer to get less attention than say the Lancaster Amish do, though some even in smaller communities benefit from tourist business and even cooperate with it to a degree. Here is a good example: https://amishamerica.com/the-amish-of-ethridge-tennessee/
There are actually over 400 Amish settlements in North America, so you will find a lot that are not very well-known, and in some states where you might not expect Amish to be. The Young Center has a complete listing here: http://www2.etown.edu/amishstudies/Population_by_State_2010.asp
I am about halfway through outlining these states here: https://amishamerica.com/amish-state-guide/
Amish in PA
Erik…I heard from someone that lives near lancaster that there are Amish families that rent out rooms….you can stay for a visit on actual amish farm and have breafast with them…like a B&B….is this true? The lady I spoke to said she met someone that did that…but didnt get the name of farm??
Amish B n B in Lancaster County
Hi Nicole, there are a couple that do that I believe. I don’t have the names though, maybe someone else does?
If you post the same question on the “Amish in PA” or “Pennsylvania Amish” page, that might be your best bet.
https://amishamerica.com/amish-in-pennsylvania/
https://amishamerica.com/pennsylvania-amish/
Very interested
I would love something like this!!
the amish in cecilton, md; i knew one of the families very well.
they moved back to lancaster, pa, shortly after this posting.
they were a very nice family!
Learned something new:-)
A little dated (my comment, not your article), but still thanks for the article.
I was actually Googling, “Why aren’t there any Amish in Maryland. I’ve spent almost my whole life here & never heard of them or the communities they live in. Thanks for the a info,