Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, holds a revered place in Anabaptist history as the oldest continuous Amish settlement in North America. Established in the early 1700s, this fertile agricultural region has grown from a handful of immigrant families into a thriving community of tens of thousands.
The Arrival in Pennsylvania’s Garden Spot
Attracted by William Penn’s offer of religious freedom and rich limestone soil, Swiss-German Anabaptists began arriving in Southeastern Pennsylvania around 1720. They quickly established productive family farms, developing sustainable agricultural practices that earned Lancaster County its reputation as America’s “Garden Spot.”
Cultural Distinctives of Lancaster Amish
- Grey Buggy Tops: Lancaster Amish are instantly recognized by their signature dark grey carriage tops.
- Push Scooters: Pedaled bicycles are forbidden under the local Ordnung, making steel push scooters the primary personal transit choice.
- Lapp and Stoltzfus Lineages: Surnames like King, Stoltzfus, Lapp, Fisher, and Beiler represent a significant portion of the settlement population.