The Amish in North Carolina: 2024 Guide (Two Communities)
North Carolina is home to two very different Amish communities
North Carolina has a limited history of Amish settlement. But today you’ll find two distinct Amish communities in the state, lying about 90 miles apart. Both are horse-and-buggy Amish groups – but they’re quite different from each other.
One community (Union Grove) is arguably the most progressive type of Amish. The other (Ellenboro) has a claim to being the most conservative. NC’s total Amish population (2024) is approximately 310 people.
- Union Grove Amish
- Ellenboro Amish
- Yanceyville Amish (defunct community)
- Dismal Swamp (Moyock) Amish (defunct community)
- NC Amish Today
The Union Grove, NC Amish
North Carolina is not known for having a large Amish population. Amish have attempted to settle NC on a few occasions in the past.
Today, the Union Grove Amish settlement is the longest-lived Amish community in Tar Heel State history. Note: this Amish settlement is also referred to by the name of another nearby town, Hamptonville.
The community at Union Grove, a small village in Yadkin County west of Winston-Salem, was founded in 1985 by New Order Amish from Guthrie, Kentucky.
The Union Grove settlement is unusual for one reason in particular: it allows members to tap into electricity from the public grid. Despite this, it’s still considered a “plain” Amish settlement, with much in common with other Amish churches.
Like other Amish, the people here use the horse-and-buggy, wear plain clothing, and speak Pennsylvania Dutch. But they also belong (along with their parent community of Guthrie) to the tiny percentage of Amish which permit public power.
These “electric New Order” churches make up perhaps one percent of all Amish. In contrast, most of the New Order Amish churches of Holmes County, Ohio, do not permit public power in the home.
Amish settlers to Union Grove were welcomed by the NC natives. One Amish commenter reflected that it may have been because of positive connections locals had with Amish – due to previous visits to the tourist-friendly Lancaster County Amish settlement.
The Amish newcomers were visited numerous times by non-Amish, due to reasons of curiosity, and also by “seekers”, reports the Union Grove settler.
The Union Grove Amish community has not changed too much in size over its nearly 40 years in existence. Today the community remains a single church district (congregation) in size, with about 155 Amish residents.
Amish in Union Grove run a number of businesses, including a dry goods store and a shed-building business as well as outdoor and indoor furniture businesses (read more on Amish furniture in North Carolina).
By far the best-known Union Grove Amish business is the Shiloh General Store, which draws customers from around the state, and beyond. The store provides a wide variety of foods, dry goods, variety store items, fresh sandwiches and baked goods, and more.
Another popular business is the Wholesome Country Creamery, which sells an array of dairy products, including milk, kefir, yogurt, butter, cream, buttermilk, and of course, ice cream (on my last visit I enjoyed the butter pecan and pumpkin flavors). The store also sells goat dairy products.
For more on this settlement, check out this closer look at the Union Grove Amish community.
The Ellenboro, NC Swartzentruber Amish
Around a decade ago, the Union Grove Amish were joined in the state by a quite different group of Amish. Settling in the area of Ellenboro (Rutherford and Cleveland Counties) in 2015, locals familiar with their cousins to the north would have noticed an immediate difference.
The Swartzentruber Amish are arguably the plainest and most conservative of all Amish. This is seen in their style of dress (wider hat brims, darker colors), hair (longer), restrictions on technology.
Swartzentruber Amish reject the SMV safety triangle on buggies, indoor plumbing, and most innovations and adaptions accepted by other Amish.
The contrast between the electricity-permitting New Order Amish at Union Grove, and the outhouse-using new arrivals at Ellenboro couldn’t have been much greater.
The group at Ellenboro has established itself since its founding, however, growing to a similar size as their neighbors to the north (about 150 Amish live at Ellenboro).
Amish here come primarily from other Swartzentruber settlements in Southern states – mainly those at Ethridge, Tennessee, and Pontotoc County, Mississippi. Note: this community is also located near the town of Polkville.
Like other Amish, this group has proven quite entrepreneurial, establishing numerous small woodworking shops and other businesses. Among others they include custom woodworking, outdoor furniture, sheds, baked goods, and candle and soap making. The community has held auctions as well.
Despite their reputation as being among the most traditional Plain people, the Amish here are generally welcoming and friendly. You’ll hear particularly thick Southern accents from the people living here. To hear one example, I’ll share with you a video my visit to an Amish furniture maker in the community:
Amish in NC: Two Unusual Historic Communities
Though North Carolina has a limited history of Amish settlement, it is an unusual one. The NC Amish communities which have come and gone were particularly noteworthy – one (Yanceyville) for its unusual approach to outsiders, and the other (Moyock) for its surprising location.
The defunct Amish community at Yanceyville, NC (1994-2001)
A decade after Union Grove settlement was founded, Amish from Union Grove started an unusual community at Yanceyville, NC.
The Yanceyville settlement existed only briefly – from 1994 to 2001. What made this community different from most Amish settlements, including its mother community? Yanceyville differed from most Amish settlements in that it was a bilingual community.
The Yanceyville Amish also attempted to accommodate “seekers”, individuals exploring and in some cases attempting to join the Amish church. In fact, one reason cited for the settlement’s founding was “a desire to help some of the many seeking families.”
Six Union Grove Amish families began the community at the Yanceyville location in Caswell County, about an hour’s drive northwest of Raleigh-Durham and the Research Triangle.
The settlement was successful in attracting seekers, and quite a few ended up joining the Yanceyville community. At one point, half the church membership was made up of individuals of non-Plain background. Ministers at Yanceyville gave sermons in English. Members traveled by horse-and-carriage and dressed Plain.
Eventually, however, due to the influence of another church, Yanceyville ceased to exist as an Amish community. The Yanceyville church was supplanted by a Beachy Amish congregation, which soon went defunct as well.
It’s not common for Amish to be so accommodating of outside seekers. And that’s not because they’re unkind. It’s more a matter of practicality. It’s simply difficult to build a Plain Amish community which includes a high percentage of people from a non-Amish background. Still, the Yanceyville community remains an interesting historic example – of a failed Amish “experiment”, so to speak.
The Amish settlement at Moyock in Currituck County, NC (1918 – 1944)
Besides today’s two existing communities and Yanceyville, (and one or two failed settlement attempts made by individual Amish), the only other full-fledged settlement in North Carolina came about in 1918. This community was located near Moyock in the area known as the “Dismal Swamp” in northeastern NC.
The Moyock community survived a quarter-century before finally disbanding in 1944. Amish historian David Luthy gives the history of this fascinating settlement in The Amish in America: Settlements that Failed 1840-1960.
The first Amish settlers to the Moyock area came mainly from Ohio. However, over its existence the settlement did attract Amish from a wide array of locations, including Montana, Mississippi, Kansas, and even Mexico. Amish were attracted to the unlikely region by Ohio land developers, who drained and improved portions of the enormous Dismal Swamp on the Virginia border.
The settlement grew slowly. The land developer took pains to accommodate Amish settlers, constructing a boarding house where immigrants would stay while constructing homes of their own.
The locale was nicknamed the “Amish Hotel”, and it was used by members of the community as a place to hold church and school as well. Luthy notes that the Amish had plans to build a churchhouse (an unusual intention for the traditionally home-worshiping Amish), but they were never realized.
Amish here appreciated the deep black soil, and with good drainage, were able to make a living farming. Mint was a popular crop, and one Amishman ran a business distilling mint oil. Corn, peanuts, soybeans, and potatoes were among the other crops raised.
An unfortunate hazard of the terrain, however, was the flammable nature of the dried swamp muck. Hunters to the area frequently started blazes by dropping lit cigarettes on the turf. “Once caught on fire, the soil would burn until the next rain,” notes Luthy (Settlements that Failed, Luthy, p300). Swamp mosquitoes pestered the Amish settlers as well, with an observer describing it as “a mosquito paradise” (Luthy, p300).
Thanks to a rail connection, the Currituck County Amish maintained ties with the Amish community which existed at Norfolk, Virginia at the time. Amish would travel by rail to sell farm products in the town of Norfolk, and also buried their dead at the Amish cemetery in this community.
The community faced other challenges. The main issue stemmed from the lack of spiritual leadership in the community. Amazingly, over its 25 years only one minister ever lived in the settlement, and then only for a short time. Ministers from other communities visited only rarely, and only one group of youth was ever baptized.
The settlement seemed to experience a lot of turnover as well. Luthy notes the comment of one resident: “some came and others left all the time we were there” (Luthy, p298).
The lack of spiritual leadership damaged the community’s long-term prospects. Eventually, Amish began moving away, with the last settler pulling up stakes and returning to Ohio in 1944. Today, not a trace exists of the Amish settlement that once existed here – no buildings, and since deceased Amish were buried at the community at Norfolk, no graves remain either.
North Carolina Amish Today
North Carolina has never attracted much settlement by the Amish. This may be due to a number of factors.
Perhaps its relative distance from other communities, or its particularly warm and humid climate contribute to deter potential Amish settlers.
NC has seen nothing of the Amish influx into other states such as Kentucky, New York, or Missouri, which have attracted large numbers of Amish migrants in recent years.
Today, land prices in NC would likely be a discouraging factor as well, particularly compared to prices in places like upstate New York or Colorado.
Another factor may have to do with building codes. One Amishman from the Union Grove settlement notes that they are stricter than in some other areas, when it comes to constructing school buildings.
Whatever the reasons, technologically progressive Union Grove, and conservative Ellenboro remain the only Amish communities in the Tar Heel State.
Though small, they are well-established and create a unique Amish population in the state – representing Amish approaches from opposite ends of the horse-and-buggy spectrum.
For more, see:
- A Visit To the Shiloh General Store (Union Grove Amish)
- Inside An NC Amish Home (Ellenboro Amish)
- “Amish Population, 2023” Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies, Elizabethtown College
- “Amish Population in the United States by State, County, and Settlement, 2023” – compiled by Edsel Burdge, Joseph F. Donnermeyer, and Adam Hershberger
- New Order Amish Directory, 2004, pp166-172
- New Order Amish Directory, 1996
- “The New Order Amish and Para-Amish Groups: Spiritual Renewal Within a Tradition”, G.C. Waldrep, Mennonite Quarterly Review July 2008
- The Amish in America: Settlements that Failed, 1840-1960, David Luthy
I think Ellenboro is about 11 miles southeast of Polkville with both little towns not being far the the county lines. Not too far especially if they live between the two towns for a buggy or wagon ride to sell goods in Polkville. I mentioned the Amish to a facebook friend who lives in NW Cleveland County and she said she sees them out in buggies all the time, I would say it is most likely to be the same group.
Al, if you see anything else in the Budget about this settlement would please post it. I live about an hour and half away but have family in Shelby so visit the area fairly often. For those of us NC that enjoy learning about and visiting Amish communities this is great news.
Patty, I still had several other copies of the June Budget newspaper, so looked at them and discovered that there is a scribe from Polkville who is regularly sending in news to The Budget. In their letter in the June 7 edition, they reported that the Polkville Amish community is a small settlement of 10 families and stretches for approximately 15 miles from one end to the other. That would be a long buggy ride! I will share other interesting news from Polkville when I learn of it.
This is a little late, but I am not far from polkville either and I be curious to know where they relocated from. And I hope the small settlement sticks.
Swartzentruber Amish in Rutherford Co., NC
According to the 2019 New American Almanac, there is an Amish community in eastern Rutherford Co., NC and western Cleveland Co., NC which is a member of the Swartzentruber Amish affiliation.
Swartzentruber Amish in Western North Carolina
There is a thriving Swartzentruber Amish district in Eastern Rutherford Country and Western Cleveland Country. The moved from the Ethridge, NC community in 2017 and there are now 16-18 families. The bishop is JD Gingrich who lives in the Ellenboro area. He has a tack shop and offers all kinds of leather and canvas products and repair. His daughter and son-in-law live next door. Moses Yoder trims hooves and shoes horses. JD’s oldest son Manus has a large vegetable farm. We’ve written a little about the local community on our farm website for Homestead Oaks in Ellenboro, NC.
Builder
Looking for Amish builder to build 2 bedroom 2bath approx. 1200 ft. One level. 12ft ceiling in living room
The land will be prepared to build on in McDowell county in Western N.Carolina. I willl need you to build entire frame with outlets for electrical boxes , a space for a chimney, And a metal roof. If anyone can do this please contact me at my email address . We shall negotiate Thank you. Joanne
Shelby-Ellenboro Settlement
1/12/23 — I get weekly copies of “The Budget” and there are frequent submissions to it from the Shelby-Ellenboro settlement.
Food Products
Do you sell the smoked chicken and butter
looking for crew to construct traditional pole barn in Cleveland, NC, Iredell County NC
Would greatly appreciate any information available on businesses near Iredell County, NC, like Union Grove or Hamptonville, NC that may sell and construct a traditional pole barn on our property in Cleveland, NC. We are near exit 45 and 42 on I-77, south of Statesville, NC. My contact info is jratchford92@gmail.com. Thank you in advance for any assistance you can provide.
how and what
do I become part of the Amish and what do I need to know?
Attn: Erik/Amish America
Hi, Erik, I have info on the new settlement in northern Rutherford county Polkville/Ellenboro, NC area. I really don’t want to get into posting it on this site. I’ll, soon, be showing my small farm & home ( way up north of Hickory/West of Taylorsville) to a family in encouragement for small settlement only 1 hr from Union Grove, NC & 1 hr & 15 min. from Polkville, NC. Please Private message me. Thanks
Interested to know
I am interested to know if that farm land sold to the Amish in Taylorsville. I live in claremont and I would love to visit a community.
Where exactly is the community in Union Grove do you know?
Thank you
Visiting the Amish in North Carolina
The bishop for the Western North Carolina community, JD Gingrich, lives on Short Road in Ellenboro. Is son-in-law, Moses Yoder, lives next door and trims and shoes horses on Tuesday and Saturday. Moses’ wife, Lizzie, makes pies and cakes. JD’s other son lives right down the road and has a large vegetable farm. JD has a tack shop and can make or repair almost anything out of leather. He has a good supply of tack and leather products on hand including leather bags. As you would expect, they all do top-notch work. Please treat them like neighbors and respect their wishes not to be photographed. To them it is breaking the commandment regarding “images.”
I would like to just know how do I go about converting into the Amish as I am now living as a Mennonite on my own
Converting to Amish
Converting to the Swartzentruber Amish district in Rutherford and Cleveland counties would mean not being on this website or using any electric devices with the limited exceptions of a few gas-powered engines and battery flashlights. To join you would need to talk to JD & Nancy Gingrich, the district bishop and his wife. You would find them home every day except meeting Sunday at 591 Short Rd, Ellenboro, NC.
Windsor Crossroads/Shiloh Store Hamptonville/Union Grove Yadkin/Iredell Co Line NC
Documentary abot Amish Community
Hello, my name is Hedvika Miller I’m an international reporter from the Czech Republic in Europe. I’m working on article about Amish People in America and would like to visit some families in North Carolina for an interview. Could you please help me what direction I should go or who I need to contact? Thank you so much for your help!
Hedvika Miller
704-650-9262
Looking for Amish made furniture
I would really want to find an Anish community that I can buy hand made furniture directly from the Amish community. I would prefer that over buying from a reseller.
Amish Pony for sale?
We are looking to buy an Amish Pony. We live in Wake Forest NC.
Alice Hoover
919-971-1349
Amish built cabin - builder wanted
Hey there,
We have a piece of property that we’d like to build a small cabin on Hyco Lake. Not far from Yanceyville. I have a plan and an actual model to look at to duplicate. The original builders are located in IN and we would like to see if there is someone local interested in the project?
It’s a 14’X32’ with 6’ front porch. Insulated windows bath with shower, kitchen and loft for two beds. Please give me a call. 336-662-7953.
Thanks,
Darin Bett
Amish in Ellenboro & Hopewell
There are Amish communities Ellenboro and Hopewell, NC. None of them have phones. They are easy to find, especially on Saturday because they are parked along main roads selling.
Amish in Ellenboro and Hopewell NC
I wasn’t aware of any Amish in Hopewell.
Looking for an Amish Barn Builder
Looking for a Barn to be built in Tryon, NC
Please contact 813-355-6029
Would like to visit.
Would like to visit.
Hello my name is Raymond and I live in Elon Caswell county. Im very interested in getting a small shed built to be used as an office at my residence. I would like it to be high quality and I know your work is top notch! Please contact me via email at elonacres@yahoo.com
Thank you and have a blessed day!
There are Amish or Mennonite on the Rowan Iredell NC line near Cleveland/Cool Springs Rd?
https://www.google.com/maps/@35.7872061,-80.5995929,3a,15y,172.44h,78.29t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sZPg2zHmbltuIicwmN6Kqdw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192
Visit
Hello, We are in NC for two weeks and would love to visit . Please call me at 407 448 2800.
Sincerely , Natella
Visit what? Who is your question directed to?
The Salisbury store is closed now but Shiloh is still open.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Shiloh+General+Store/@36.085541,-80.8624999,768m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x8851632ced64807f:0x11628f8e9958e218!8m2!3d36.0855367!4d-80.8603059
5520 St Paul Church Rd, Hamptonville, NC 27020
5520 St Paul Church Rd, Hamptonville, NC 27020 Shiloh Store
Do the Amish in Union Grove, NC make and sell shoofly pies?
Amish Tour
I would like to visit an Amish community between September 8-14, 2023. Are there any tours departing from Durham NC?
It’s fascinating to see how this community has maintained its traditions while also adapting to the modern world.
Caswell Co. NC Need Builder
Looking for a builder for new construction in Caswell Co NC . We have a one acre lot ready to build on. Please contact Joel @ 336-504-5034.
Do the amish in NC have soap for sale and if so will they ship it to you
House framing crew needed
Hi I’m looking for a framing crew to build my new home in Boiling Springs Lakes NC 28461 . Ed 9105399579/ Email: bmoe747@aol.com
Alabama
Why are there no Amish here in Alabama? We are good people who would welcome you!
Ellenboro is about gone
Unfortunately several families on Ellenboro have left. It seems the community is really struggling.
Very Interesting
Thanks, Erik.
We lived a few years in NC and know the state fairly well, so interesting to me. The communities on opposite ends of the spectrum, so to speak, doesn’t surprise me too much.
BH
2024
Does anyone know how these communities faired in the recent hurricane that destroyed parts of the Carolinas?