Scenes From Snowy Lancaster County – And A Peek Inside Amish Church (23 Photos)

I wanted to share some photos from my visit to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania last month. Starting Saturday night and into Sunday morning, we got a nice solid snow, which left the area blanketed in a beautiful white fluffy layer.

The next morning, church service was conveniently being held at the home of friends where I was staying, so it was a great chance to attend.

This snow-frosted buggy gives you an idea of how much snow fell. Chores and last preparations for the church members’ arrival are ongoing, as the light from the barn casts a warm glow upon the early morning scene.

The church district’s bench wagon. This is used to transport benches and other things needed for the gathering, including the stands that are used to turn church benches into tables (see below), and cups and utensils and so on used for the after-church fellowship meal.

Below you see the basement, prior to service starting. The benches, chairs and Ausbund hymnals were all set out and ready to go. Most everything is prepared and set up and cleaned up on the day, or days, prior (here’s a more in-depth explanation of how Amish families prepare their homes for church).

I ended up sitting in the chair to the right of the nearer pole in the photo. This is the seating area for ministers, older folks, guests, and anyone who might have a health issue such as a bad back and might need the support of a chair.

Men sit on one side, women on the opposite side. The preachers mostly stand on the left in this photo, in the general area between the two sides and below the hanging yellow battery light.

Opposite the preacher is the wall clock, where he can have an eye on it. Amish church services can last three hours or longer, but can clock in at shorter than that. I think it went closer to two-and-a-half hours this time. Also notice the numerous hooks for hats and coats, found throughout the room (you can see them in the above photo as well).

This service took place on December 14th. Since it was the service prior to/closest to Christmas (Amish churches meet every two weeks – here’s more on how Amish church works), preaching was oriented around the birth of Christ.

And outside the basement door, a handy source of water. Preaching for up to an hour can make your throat dry, so I’ve heard.

These are the stands that the benches are placed into, to swiftly convert them into tables for the church fellowship meal.

After service concluded. Some of the buggies parked outside.

I wish I had a photo of the church meal to share with you, this one was especially tasty. Amish church peanut butter, schmier kase (spread cheese) together on a slice of bread, and topped with a piece of ham. Might sound like a weird combo if you haven’t tried it, but yum.

Out & About

After church, I gave my friend’s son, and his friend, a ride over to the town of Gap to drop them off at the friend’s home. I enjoy doing local Amish taxi stuff like that, errands and drop-offs.

The roads had been cleared out, but it was especially windy, and drifts began forming. You can see how this could easily happen with the snow accumulation on the fields and few natural barriers preventing snow from blowing over and piling up.

In some cases, they covered the road completely, or nearly so.

If you read about my adventures in Geauga County a few days prior, then you know that I wasn’t exactly equipped with an especially winter weather-worthy vehicle.

Afterward I drove around the county some on the way to drop in on some other friends. Here you see Gordonville Book Store. I usually always stop here, but not this time, being Sunday.

The blanket of snow added a layer of charm to Amish farms.

Snow plow trucks are especially appreciated on days like these. Though, there probably wasn’t more than five or six inches of snow this time, so not exactly a blizzard.

Sunday buggy traffic.

Outside Double E Carriages, a buggy for sale.

A buggy heads down Highway 340, aka Old Philadelphia Pike, towards Bird-in-Hand.

I hope you enjoyed this brief look at one of the most beautiful days I’ve spent in Lancaster County. Somewhat unplanned, but sometimes those are the best experiences.

And for more Lancaster County winter scenes, check out 17 Striking Winter Photos That Show Amish Country at Its Most Beautiful and 20 Favorite Lancaster County Amish Photos (A Sunny Winter Day).

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