Bridgewater Review Volume 16 | Issue 2 Article 5 Dec-1997 Life in the Slow Lane: The Old Order Amish Cultural Landscape of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Glenn Miller Bridgewater State College Recommended Citation Miller, Glenn (1997). Life in the Slow Lane: The Old Order Amish Cultural Landscape of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Bridgewater Review, 16(2), 3-6. Available at: http://vc.bridgew.edu/br_rev/vol16/iss2/5 This item is available as part of Virtual Commons, the open-access institutional repository of Bridgewater State University, Bridgewater, Massachusetts. ________________ L...- _ almost all drawn from The Bible: Moses, the Mennonites dropped. At the time of John, Abraham, Aaron, Issac, Peter, Ruth, their schism the Amish and Mennonites Rebecca, Sarah, and Rachel. appeared identical, and held to the same Biblical faith. The Amish practice ofshun­ Basically, the Amish today live simi­ ning those excommunicated from the lar to the way their ancestors did almost Church created the main point of conten­ three hundred years ago. They use horse­ tion. Other minor issues also contributed LIFEIN'THE drawn transportation and do not hook up to a decision to part ways with the Men­ to electricity. They live a fairly simple life, nonites. SLOW LANE: and are sometimes referred to as "the Plain People." There are about 100,000 Amish Most of the Amish beliefs are taken The Old Order in the world today. Their largest settle­ from literal interpretations of The Bible. Amish Cultural ment is in Holmes County, Ohio, in the In particular, from the book of Leviticus, east central part of the state. The second God tells his people: "be ye separate." And Landscape of largest Amish settlement is the oldest and so, the Amish are separate: in their lan­ best known, that of Lancaster County, guage, dress, transportation, and many Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Other Amish settlements other aspects of their culture. They do are found in over twenty U.S. states, live a lifestyle that is distinctively differ­ Pennsylvania Canada, and several countries in Central ent from their non-Amish neighbors who America and South America. The author live in the same region. Most Amish are extremely devout Glenn Miller individuals. The Amish attempt to AMISH ORIGINS follow New Testa­ ment standards for he Old Order Amish living. They teach are a religious sect the entire Bible and T that grew out of the Menno­ believe that the New nite Church which originated in Ger­ Testament is the many in 1525, in the early years of fulfillment of the the Protestant Reformation. Due to Old Testament. The religious persecution by the Amish religion is Prussians, the Amish migrated from similar to the Jew­ Germany's Rhineland to settle in ish religion in that William Penn's colony of Pennsylva­ it can be broken nia in the early 1700s. The Amish down into Ultra Or­ people are often called "Dutch," thodox, Orthodox, which is a corruption of the German Conservative, and Reformed sub- word Deutsch. The Amish, there­ Amish Buggy fore, are of German descent, and not groups. The Old from the Netherlands. But despite the oc­ Order Amish of casional problem in identifying the eth­ was raised in Lancaster County, and its Lancaster County, the focus of this essay, nic background of the Amish, they never­ Amish community and landscape are the represent the ultra orthodox, or the strict­ theless have become part ofAmerica's plu­ primary focus of this essay. est way of life. ralistic society. AMISH BELIEFS The Amish live in geographically de­ The Amish closely intermarry and lineated church districts, with about usually live in tight-knit communities to The separation between the Amish thirty-five families per district. There are offer each other support and to minimize Church and the Mennonite Church took no separate church structures, as they acculturation from the modemworld. Be­ place in 1693. Although their actions are gather every two weeks in the home of a cause of the close intermarriage, they have referred to as a "breakaway," it might be district member. The service starts around only a few surnames, with Stoltzfus, King, equally correct to say that the Amish 8:00 AM and continues until about noon­ Fisher, Glick, Esh, Lapp, and Beiler being Church began as a result of a strong con­ time. Men and women sit separately on the most common. The first names are viction to continue some practices which backless benches arranged in rows. The 3 ----------------' ---------------- Amish believe in clearly defined gender when a disaster strikes, even beyond the sion of vocational school in their one­ roles, in all aspects of life. borders ofLancaster County and the State room school houses. Teachers are usu­ of Pennsylvania. ally young women, often with only an The service begins with the singing eighth-grade education themselves. Stu­ ofhymns from an old German hymnbook, THE AMISH LIFESTYLE dents may spend all eight years in the theAusbund. There are no musical scores, & CULTURE same single school room, with the same and the congregation sings in unison, un­ teacher. The older students often help the accompanied, which resembles a Being farmers in the early 1900s teacher instruct the younger pupils, many Gregorian chant. Following the singing meant that Amish families in rural of whom are their siblings and cousins. there is a short sermon, silent prayer, and Lancaster County usually sent their chil­ Scripture readings in High German. The dren to public one-room school houses, The Old Order Amish have retained main sermon follows which lasts about an along with non-Amish, or "English" chil­ the st~ict way oflife, which includes wear­ hour, and is given in Pennsylvania Dutch, dren. As school-size increased in the post­ ing a plain garb. Women wear long dresses which is more correctly defined as Penn­ World War II era, the Amish felt that too of solid-colored material, black hose and sylvania German, which is a combination much acculturation took place between shoes, a prayer veiling of white organdy of Palatinate German and English. After them and the non-Amish. Therefore, in material, and a black bonnet over the veil­ the main sermon other ing when outer protection is ordained men give their appropriate. The men wear own comments and the solid-colored shirts, dark service ends with a button-down fly trousers, lengthy prayer from an and black felt or straw broad­ Amish prayer book. The brimmed hats, depending service rarely varies from on the season. Hooks and this format. Amish min­ eyes replace buttons on isters are chosen by lot Amish suitcoats and vests to from the adult male commemorate their perse­ members, and Acts 1:15­ cution by the Prussians in 26 is the basis for this the 16200s, who were then practice. No special edu­ noted for their brass buttons cation is thought neces­ on their military uniforms. sary for the ministry. The children dress The Amish believe in much the same as the taking care of their own. adults. Most Amish cloth­ While paying taxes, ing is designed and sewn by Amish One Room School House Amish farmers secure an Amish women. Dress be­ exemption from paying comes a visible symbol social security if they are self-employed. 1972, theAmish pulled their children from which strengthens group loyalty. One can Grown children take care of their elderly the public schools. Some ofthe previously never forget his or her Amish identity parents in their homes, as it is extremely abandoned one-room school houses were while wearing the distinctive clothing. rare for an Amish person to reside in a con­ re-opened, and several new ones were valescent home. They seldom receive So­ built. Amish education basically means Historically, the Amish have been an cial Security benefits or Medicare. Amish emphasizing "the three R's," which are agricultural people. They still attach great do not take out insurance, except for farm reading, writing, and arithmetic. Children importance to working the soil and re­ liability, in case one of their animals causes only complete eight years of education, maining close to nature. The average an accident. They believe that when a which the parents feel quite adequately Amish farm size in Lancaster County is a tragedy occurs it is an act of God. How­ prepares them for life as they know it. As relatively small 60 acres. In spite of what ever, when tragedy does strike an Amish a result ofa Pennsylvania Supreme Court may seem to outsiders as archaic meth­ family, for example in the form of fire or decision which allows them to "dropout" ods, theAmish are generally quite success­ long-term medical disability, the Amish early, the Amish meet the requirements ful commercial farmers, and usually find community will help with the necessary of compulsory education until the age of it more economical to specialize in their labor and share the costs through the sixteen by receiving agricultural and do­ production. Lancaster County is the lead­ Amish Aid Society. The Amish people will mestic training at home. They also at­ ing non-irrigated agricultural county in often come to the aid of non-Amish, too, tend a three-hour Saturday morning ses- the United States, in terms of the dollar 4 -------------------' ---------------- value of the produce, and is nicknamed Weddings are all-day occasions, and triggered a major tourist boom in "the Garden Spot." The main crops grown up to 300 guests may arrive at the bride's Lancaster County. Since then, Lancaster in Lancaster County include com (for live­ home around 8:30 AM on the wedding County has become one of the leading stock feed), wheat, tobacco, alfalfa, clover, day.