Of all the different kinds of Amish businesses, places selling food and books are two of my favorites (with the classic variety store also in the mix – see 5 Amish Businesses You Should Visit).

Recently while in Lancaster County I dropped by two spots that some of you might know – BB’s Grocery Outlet, and Gordonville Book Store.




I’m sharing some photos from both here today and next week, starting with Gordonville Book Store.

It’s a regular stop anytime I am in Lancaster County. Usually the first thing I do once inside is hang a quick right to this section by the door:

And grab one of these:

If you’re not familiar with it, this is Raber’s Almanac, primarily a listing of Amish churches and ministers, but also including church schedules for Scripture and hymns, as well as some old-fashioned farmer’s almanac folk knowledge.

Gordonville Bookstore has a wide array of books, including tomes relating to Amish church such as Bibles and prayer books, inspirational literature, and a pretty healthy Amish fiction section.

The store is Amish-owned and run, and based on who I see each time I’m there, I would guess has a majority Amish clientele.

As in many Amish stores, some aisles can be rather dimly lit – in this case by traditional skylights, with the option to fire up gas lamps if needed. It was an overcast day, but still the natural light was enough:

You’ll find not only books here but other items like calendars, school and writing supplies, and more. On this visit just before Easter I found a holiday section with some peanut butter eggs for a $1.50 apiece. I abstained, but they looked tasty:

The Book Store is not to be confused with Gordonville Print Shop, which is located nearby and produces Amish school texts among other publications.

While there I spotted something which made me smile:

Here’s a closer shot of what I’m talking about:

My Amish business book is still on their shelves 8 years after publication, which tells me someone is buying it here.

As always, I picked up a few things to read on this visit. First, a recent copy of The Diary:

This is a church directory covering Lancaster County daughter settlements:

A Lancaster County Business Directory (these are free):

I also got a couple of books by people who became Amish via adoption. Here’s one of them:

If you’re in Lancaster County, I’d recommend a visit to this place. It’s one of the best-known Amish bookstores. Here’s where you’ll find it:

Gordonville Book Store
275 Old Leacock Rd
Gordonville, PA 17529

If you’ve ever been here, let us know in the comments!

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