Swartzentruber Amish

There is just one Swartzentruber Amish community in Pennsylvania, and it looks like they will soon be gone from the state. Following well-publicized disputes over building codes, outhouses and SMV triangles, the Swartzentruber Amish community in Cambria County, PA, is dwindling.  The settlement is down to 9 families (from a peak of 21), “with the […]

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The Amish smoke alarm issue has been ongoing for a number of years in New York state. David Belton, who made the PBS Amish documentary, has written an article on the topic for BBC. Swartzentruber Amish in northern New York have violated building codes by not installing smoke alarms in their homes, leading to fines […]

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There’s another possible out for Swartzentruber Amish in Kentucky who refuse the SMV triangle–a change in state law. The Bowling Green Daily News reported Saturday that members of the Kentucky General Assembly were considering a change in regulations covering the SMV insignia. The trials of 5 Amishmen in Logan County, set for Friday, were accordingly […]

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Karen Johnson-Weiner shares a photo of homemade Amish soap, the work of a Swartzentruber Amish woman. It’s interesting to see the range of home amenities used by Amish. When it comes to cleaning products, you get families who buy fine hand lotions from places like Wal-Mart to those who still make their own soaps. Here’s […]

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Mention “Ohio Amish”, and most people think of the large settlement at Holmes County, or perhaps Geauga County to its north. But just a short ways down the road from the large Holmes settlement lies an often-overlooked but sizeable Amish community.  Amish have lived in Ashland and neighboring Medina County for nearly sixty years. Ashland […]

Continue Reading The Amish of Ashland and Medina County, Ohio

Over the past few weeks we’ve tried to show the diverse interiors of Amish homes, from the plainer to the more progressive. I hope you enjoy this shot today from a more conservative Swartzentruber Amish home: What do you spy on that dresser? Hanging around: Special thanks to Karen Johnson-Weiner (author of New York Amish: […]

Continue Reading Inside an Amish home: Three rockers

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 […]

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How active are Amish in mission work? As touched on in “So you want to join the Amish“, Amish have traditionally looked more inward than outward, focusing spiritual energies on their own rather than seeking converts. But that doesn’t mean they shun all mission-minded outreach. There has been historical interest in mission work within the Amish. The […]

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Reader Alyssa writes: I have one question about the Swartzentruber Amish: do they have assurance of salvation? To put it bluntly, do they have Jesus in their hearts in order to go to heaven? Are they true Christians? In fact, I think this is 2, or even 3 separate questions.  I can take a shot […]

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The Deep South is home to only one Amish settlement today, located near Randolph in Pontotoc County, Mississippi.  The Randolph Amish settlement is a conservative Swartzentruber community, marked by highly limited technology and a very plain lifestyle. Historically, Amish have only occasionally settled in the Deep South region.  This would include a few other communities […]

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