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Signs of Lancaster County
A Photographic Tour of Amish Country Tana Reiff
322
Ephrata
Manheim Elizabethtown 283
Lititz 72
501
222
772
New Holland
23 30
Leola
Lancaster
462
Millersville 741
999
Bird-in-hand 340 Intercourse Paradise 30 Ronks Strasburg 896
222
Georgetown Quarryville
Lancaster County is situated in south-central Pennsylvania. From the area in which most of these photographs were taken, Philadelphia is less than 75 miles to the east.
Other Schiffer Books on Related Subjects: Bridges of Lancaster County, Bruce M. Waters, 978-9-7643-3427-6 Faces of Lancaster County, Bruce M. Waters, 978-0-7643-3707-9
Contents
Copyright © 2015 by Tana Reiff Library of Congress Control Number: 2015932222 All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means—graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying or information storage and retrieval systems—without written permission from the publisher. The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book or any part thereof via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized editions and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. “Schiffer,” “Schiffer Publishing, Ltd. & Design,” and the “Design of pen and inkwell” are registered trademarks of Schiffer Publishing, Ltd. Designed by Molly Shields Type set in Cheltenhm BT/ChelthmITC Bk BT ISBN: 978-0-7643-4873-0 Printed in China Published by Schiffer Publishing, Ltd. 4880 Lower Valley Road Atglen, PA 19310 Phone: (610) 593-1777; Fax: (610) 593-2002 E-mail: [email protected] For our complete selection of fine books on this and related subjects, please visit our website at www.schifferbooks.com. You may also write for a free catalog. This book may be purchased from the publisher. Please try your bookstore first. We are always looking for people to write books on new and related subjects. If you have an idea for a book, please contact us at [email protected]. Schiffer Publishing’s titles are available at special discounts for bulk purchases for sales promotions or premiums. Special editions, including personalized covers, corporate imprints, and excerpts can be created in large quantities for special needs. For more information, contact the publisher. Photographs, text, and book design by Tana Reiff All photographs copyright Tana Reiff
Introduction 5
Simply Scenic
Official Markers
Refreshments 47
7
39
Vignettes 14
In Town
53
Really Rustic
Eby Road
58
Multipurpose 17
On Buildings
66
Education and Religion
20
Summer 73
One Farm: Growing Season 26
Fall 87
One Farm: Signs Galore
28
Horses and Transportation
Trades and Enterprises
30
Only Here
16
96 107
Introduction S To my late father-mentor, Richard Reiff, and my husband-best friend, Tom Haughton, who have me in common but never had the good fortune of knowing each other.
4
igns are everywhere. They direct us to places, goods, and services. They tell us what we can and cannot do. They mark important buildings. The array of signs in one geographic area tells a story of the local culture. This book zooms in on the signs of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, a land of long history, deep religious tradition, and a remarkably unchanged rural sensibility. When I moved to Lancaster in 1973, I couldn’t help but notice the local signs. The first to draw my eye was painted on the side of a brick mill near Strasburg (p. 66). In 1998, I moved from Lancaster city to East Lampeter Township. It’s different out here. Although I live just two miles from busy Route 30, horse-drawn buggies clatter by my house, especially on Sundays and during the fall courting season. Around the corner is an Amish farm where I often buy eggs. I drive into the lane and park, perhaps alongside a resident buggy, go into the unattended shed, pick out a carton of eggs from the propane-fueled cooler, and leave my money in the box. If the woman of the house is around, we chat about the weather or her birdhouses. If there are no eggs in the shed, she’ll go and gather me a dozen in a wire basket, then hose off the feathers (most of them, anyway). East, north, and south, farmland dominates. Utility poles line the country roads, but wires do not carry electricity into Amish homes. More than 30,000 Old Order Amish dress, live, and worship here as their ancestors have for hundreds of years. Cars, trucks, motorcycles, tour buses, bicycles, buggies,
farm equipment, and pony carts share the roads. Laundry hangs across yards or porches. Mules or draft horses pull plows, harrowers, transplanters, manure spreaders, hayrakers, and harvesters through the fields. Children walk or ride scooters to one-room schoolhouses. Family members of all ages share the endless tasks of rural living. Observers can behold one anachronistic sight after another. This is the twenty-first century? To the Plain people, this is everyday life. But I feel like a time-traveler in the peaceful land of yesteryear. Everything is slower here. Tranquility washes over me. This is no place for anxiety or petty complaints, just hard work, humility, and simplicity. If I buy a fresh head of cabbage for a dollar, I get a dose of calmness for not a penny more. Taking along a camera allows me bring home images that help sustain the feeling. Venturing deeper in the countryside, I came across roads, villages, and enclaves I never knew existed—and signs I felt compelled to photograph. The more I looked, the more enchanted I became. So this is where our Amish neighbors buy their hats, scooters, and wringer washers. So this is where farm equipment is manufactured, repaired, or adapted to be pulled by animals. I began to discern which signs target fellow Amish, the local community, or tourists. In the beginning, I simply photographed signs that caught my eye. Over time, as I began connecting the signs to their meaning, my scope narrowed and a theme took shape.
Unspoken Messages At first, if I spotted an interesting sign I would snap a picture of it—straight on—with little concern for light and composition. I was only trying to take a picture of a sign. Then, while preparing photos for a montage poster in 2012, it occurred to me that I was cropping out rich context. The signs are not merely advertising; they represent the culture, cottage industries, and trades of this area. Many are part of a landscape including fields, barns and silos, farmhouses, fences, livestock, and people. I began paying closer
5
attention to each sign’s setting, taking wider shots, from different angles, getting to know each subject and its position in the panorama. If I spotted a sign but the light wasn’t right, I’d go home, map the location, and return when the light was better. On many days I just hit the road and let serendipity be my guide. Hence, this book was conceived: signs in the context of a scene. I reviewed my growing inventory of photographs. I looked—really looked—at every one. I saw details I hadn’t noticed through the camera’s viewfinder. I read Amish Enterprise: From Plows to Profits (Kraybill & Nolt, The Johns Hopkins University Press) to better understand the commerce and sociology behind the signs. I was attracted to the signs for their content and character. Some are even quirky. Not all are Amish. But they all illustrate the uniqueness of rural Lancaster County. There can’t be many places in the world where you can buy a watermelon and get your horse washed in one stop. Or get parts for both your lantern and your copier at the same remote farm. Or lose count of the ubiquitous yellow horse-and-buggy caution signs. I appreciate the thought that goes into designing one’s own sign. Many I’ve seen classify as folk art, with their careful hand-lettering or stenciling and pictorial embellishments. Handwritten text is noticeably similar, as if there is an Amish Country font. After all, many of the signmakers learned the same style of penmanship in all those one-room schools. And then there are the text features: Cauliflower $1.00 @head, the letter N stenciled backwards, shadowing letters in a second color. Intentional or not, these nuances draw attention with a wink. Revisiting sites, I’ve noticed many signs have been replaced or are gone. As Amish nonfarming enterprise expands, “primitive” signs are becoming less common. These days you see the same massproduced Tomatoes or Sweet Corn signs at any number of roadside stands. But between the lines
6
of a one-of-a-kind sign I read, “Here we are honest, down-to-earth, and fairly priced.” Authenticity is a precious commodity nowadays. I’ve painted a broad picture of Amish Country, including a few historical sites and official markers, church marquees, iconic small-town businesses, and exemplifications of the Lancaster County worldview. I have barely touched the thousands of Amish enterprises. I’ve skipped the umpteen puppies-forsale signs. Nor have I captured our commercial tourist attractions and lodgings, which have great signs. I have only scratched the surface of the county’s wonderful small towns and villages, and the city of Lancaster is a story unto itself.
Adventures in Amish Country I enjoy driving around the countryside, taking in the fresh air (even right after manure has been spread
on the fields) and taking pictures when something catches my eye. But you have to be careful. When you’re walking along a back road, it’s amazing how fast and furious the traffic feels. Buggies seem a whole lot speedier and louder whooshing past you than when you’re inside a car passing them. And watch out for the horse droppings. In my travels (mostly within ten miles of home), I get to meet farm people, entrepreneurs, and passersby. I explain what I am doing and ask permission when appropriate. Everyone has been welcoming or indifferent, or they glare at me quizzically. Some are fascinated and ask to see the previews. They are not unaccustomed to photographers, but this lady who takes pictures of signs is something new. Of course, I come home with not only sweet photos but also fresh veggies, artisan cheeses, pickled beets, chicken potpies, a broom, a birdhouse—you name it. I have become much more aware of sun positions, cloud formations, sky colors, and seasonal changes. I have lovely chats, chuckles, and philosophical discussions with people who live differently than I do. These expeditions, acquisitions, observations, and interactions are a really nice part of my life, for which I am grateful. I want to mention that any people in my shots are not posing. (The Amish farmer at Misty Creek did get his goats to pose for me.) You will find buggies in my pictures because they come by all the time. They are part of the scene. Still, sometimes I feel (or am) a little intrusive. So I thank all the folks who have unwittingly provided beautiful subject matter for my pictures. And a special thanks to those who have embraced, indulged, or just tolerated my obsession. This collection of photographs provides a glimpse of a special place on Earth. I love these pictures and the story they tell. I share them with you to enjoy, as I have.
Official Markers Every place has its local signage, but Lancaster County’s signs are special. We start with the descriptive historical marker at the county courthouse in downtown Lancaster and then head out into the county.
Lancaster County Historical Marker® (2011). N. Duke Street, Lancaster The historical marker is a registered trademark of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission and the marker text is copyrighted. Used with permission.
7
A book about the signs of Lancaster County must include a page featuring a sampling of town signs.
Many county residents are bilingual or even trilingual in English, High German, and a German dialect known as Pennsylvania German or Pennsylvania Dutch (Deutsch). They probably don’t need the signs to be in German, but the translations remain. Cat’s Back Road got its name from its path over a hill called Katzebuckel, meaning cat’s humpback. Katce Boucle is a Pennsylvania German spelling variation.
Clockwise from top left: Intercourse Town Marker (2012). W. Newport Road, Intercourse Bareville PA. Replica Train Station Sign (2005). Private Residence Old Kinzers Sign (2014). Private Residence (also known as Kinzer) New Holland Marker/New Holland Products (2013). Route 23, New Holland Blue Ball/Blue Car (2013). Route 23, Blue Ball Bird-in-Hand/Birds in Truck. (2011). Old Philadelphia Pike, Bird-in-Hand
8
School Road/Schule Weeg (2011). Farmersville Cat’s Back Road/Katce Boucle Weeg (2011). Farmersville Stone Quarry Road/Schtee Bruch Weeg (2011). Oregon Pike, Brownstown
9
Buggy Caution with Corn (2011). S. Belmont Road, Paradise Tractor Crossing (2006). N. Vintage Road, Paradise Whoa Do Not Block Drive (2011). Creek Hill Road, Leola
12
No Thru Vehicle Traffic Please Drive Slowly (2013). Miller Lane, Bird-in-Hand
13
Vignettes
Windy Town Dairy (2011). Route 23, New Holland
Eggs for Sale (2013). N. Hollander Road, Gordonville
Many small businesses walk the extra mile to make their sign into a scene. A sign and its immediate surroundings invite customers to come on in. The proprietors want the presentation to look nice. 14
Stoltzfus Woodworking Shop (2011). W. Newport Road, Ronks
King Doors (2012). Horseshoe Road, Lancaster
Bluebird Houses in Blue (2011). Horseshoe Road, Witmer
How clever to use blue paint for the BLUEBIRD HOUSES slat. I have never seen this charming sign look as pretty as it did on the August day I photographed it.
Quilts with Hanging Quilt (2011). Old Philadelphia Pike*, Intercourse
*For future reference, Old Philadelphia Pike is Route 340. It runs through both Bird-in-Hand and Intercourse.
15
A Photographic Tour of Amish Country Tana Reiff
322
Ephrata
Manheim Elizabethtown 283
Lititz 72
501
222
772
New Holland
23 30
Leola
Lancaster
462
Millersville 741
999
Bird-in-hand 340 Intercourse Paradise 30 Ronks Strasburg 896
222
Georgetown Quarryville
Lancaster County is situated in south-central Pennsylvania. From the area in which most of these photographs were taken, Philadelphia is less than 75 miles to the east.
Other Schiffer Books on Related Subjects: Bridges of Lancaster County, Bruce M. Waters, 978-9-7643-3427-6 Faces of Lancaster County, Bruce M. Waters, 978-0-7643-3707-9
Contents
Copyright © 2015 by Tana Reiff Library of Congress Control Number: 2015932222 All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means—graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying or information storage and retrieval systems—without written permission from the publisher. The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book or any part thereof via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized editions and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. “Schiffer,” “Schiffer Publishing, Ltd. & Design,” and the “Design of pen and inkwell” are registered trademarks of Schiffer Publishing, Ltd. Designed by Molly Shields Type set in Cheltenhm BT/ChelthmITC Bk BT ISBN: 978-0-7643-4873-0 Printed in China Published by Schiffer Publishing, Ltd. 4880 Lower Valley Road Atglen, PA 19310 Phone: (610) 593-1777; Fax: (610) 593-2002 E-mail: [email protected] For our complete selection of fine books on this and related subjects, please visit our website at www.schifferbooks.com. You may also write for a free catalog. This book may be purchased from the publisher. Please try your bookstore first. We are always looking for people to write books on new and related subjects. If you have an idea for a book, please contact us at [email protected]. Schiffer Publishing’s titles are available at special discounts for bulk purchases for sales promotions or premiums. Special editions, including personalized covers, corporate imprints, and excerpts can be created in large quantities for special needs. For more information, contact the publisher. Photographs, text, and book design by Tana Reiff All photographs copyright Tana Reiff
Introduction 5
Simply Scenic
Official Markers
Refreshments 47
7
39
Vignettes 14
In Town
53
Really Rustic
Eby Road
58
Multipurpose 17
On Buildings
66
Education and Religion
20
Summer 73
One Farm: Growing Season 26
Fall 87
One Farm: Signs Galore
28
Horses and Transportation
Trades and Enterprises
30
Only Here
16
96 107
Introduction S To my late father-mentor, Richard Reiff, and my husband-best friend, Tom Haughton, who have me in common but never had the good fortune of knowing each other.
4
igns are everywhere. They direct us to places, goods, and services. They tell us what we can and cannot do. They mark important buildings. The array of signs in one geographic area tells a story of the local culture. This book zooms in on the signs of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, a land of long history, deep religious tradition, and a remarkably unchanged rural sensibility. When I moved to Lancaster in 1973, I couldn’t help but notice the local signs. The first to draw my eye was painted on the side of a brick mill near Strasburg (p. 66). In 1998, I moved from Lancaster city to East Lampeter Township. It’s different out here. Although I live just two miles from busy Route 30, horse-drawn buggies clatter by my house, especially on Sundays and during the fall courting season. Around the corner is an Amish farm where I often buy eggs. I drive into the lane and park, perhaps alongside a resident buggy, go into the unattended shed, pick out a carton of eggs from the propane-fueled cooler, and leave my money in the box. If the woman of the house is around, we chat about the weather or her birdhouses. If there are no eggs in the shed, she’ll go and gather me a dozen in a wire basket, then hose off the feathers (most of them, anyway). East, north, and south, farmland dominates. Utility poles line the country roads, but wires do not carry electricity into Amish homes. More than 30,000 Old Order Amish dress, live, and worship here as their ancestors have for hundreds of years. Cars, trucks, motorcycles, tour buses, bicycles, buggies,
farm equipment, and pony carts share the roads. Laundry hangs across yards or porches. Mules or draft horses pull plows, harrowers, transplanters, manure spreaders, hayrakers, and harvesters through the fields. Children walk or ride scooters to one-room schoolhouses. Family members of all ages share the endless tasks of rural living. Observers can behold one anachronistic sight after another. This is the twenty-first century? To the Plain people, this is everyday life. But I feel like a time-traveler in the peaceful land of yesteryear. Everything is slower here. Tranquility washes over me. This is no place for anxiety or petty complaints, just hard work, humility, and simplicity. If I buy a fresh head of cabbage for a dollar, I get a dose of calmness for not a penny more. Taking along a camera allows me bring home images that help sustain the feeling. Venturing deeper in the countryside, I came across roads, villages, and enclaves I never knew existed—and signs I felt compelled to photograph. The more I looked, the more enchanted I became. So this is where our Amish neighbors buy their hats, scooters, and wringer washers. So this is where farm equipment is manufactured, repaired, or adapted to be pulled by animals. I began to discern which signs target fellow Amish, the local community, or tourists. In the beginning, I simply photographed signs that caught my eye. Over time, as I began connecting the signs to their meaning, my scope narrowed and a theme took shape.
Unspoken Messages At first, if I spotted an interesting sign I would snap a picture of it—straight on—with little concern for light and composition. I was only trying to take a picture of a sign. Then, while preparing photos for a montage poster in 2012, it occurred to me that I was cropping out rich context. The signs are not merely advertising; they represent the culture, cottage industries, and trades of this area. Many are part of a landscape including fields, barns and silos, farmhouses, fences, livestock, and people. I began paying closer
5
attention to each sign’s setting, taking wider shots, from different angles, getting to know each subject and its position in the panorama. If I spotted a sign but the light wasn’t right, I’d go home, map the location, and return when the light was better. On many days I just hit the road and let serendipity be my guide. Hence, this book was conceived: signs in the context of a scene. I reviewed my growing inventory of photographs. I looked—really looked—at every one. I saw details I hadn’t noticed through the camera’s viewfinder. I read Amish Enterprise: From Plows to Profits (Kraybill & Nolt, The Johns Hopkins University Press) to better understand the commerce and sociology behind the signs. I was attracted to the signs for their content and character. Some are even quirky. Not all are Amish. But they all illustrate the uniqueness of rural Lancaster County. There can’t be many places in the world where you can buy a watermelon and get your horse washed in one stop. Or get parts for both your lantern and your copier at the same remote farm. Or lose count of the ubiquitous yellow horse-and-buggy caution signs. I appreciate the thought that goes into designing one’s own sign. Many I’ve seen classify as folk art, with their careful hand-lettering or stenciling and pictorial embellishments. Handwritten text is noticeably similar, as if there is an Amish Country font. After all, many of the signmakers learned the same style of penmanship in all those one-room schools. And then there are the text features: Cauliflower $1.00 @head, the letter N stenciled backwards, shadowing letters in a second color. Intentional or not, these nuances draw attention with a wink. Revisiting sites, I’ve noticed many signs have been replaced or are gone. As Amish nonfarming enterprise expands, “primitive” signs are becoming less common. These days you see the same massproduced Tomatoes or Sweet Corn signs at any number of roadside stands. But between the lines
6
of a one-of-a-kind sign I read, “Here we are honest, down-to-earth, and fairly priced.” Authenticity is a precious commodity nowadays. I’ve painted a broad picture of Amish Country, including a few historical sites and official markers, church marquees, iconic small-town businesses, and exemplifications of the Lancaster County worldview. I have barely touched the thousands of Amish enterprises. I’ve skipped the umpteen puppies-forsale signs. Nor have I captured our commercial tourist attractions and lodgings, which have great signs. I have only scratched the surface of the county’s wonderful small towns and villages, and the city of Lancaster is a story unto itself.
Adventures in Amish Country I enjoy driving around the countryside, taking in the fresh air (even right after manure has been spread
on the fields) and taking pictures when something catches my eye. But you have to be careful. When you’re walking along a back road, it’s amazing how fast and furious the traffic feels. Buggies seem a whole lot speedier and louder whooshing past you than when you’re inside a car passing them. And watch out for the horse droppings. In my travels (mostly within ten miles of home), I get to meet farm people, entrepreneurs, and passersby. I explain what I am doing and ask permission when appropriate. Everyone has been welcoming or indifferent, or they glare at me quizzically. Some are fascinated and ask to see the previews. They are not unaccustomed to photographers, but this lady who takes pictures of signs is something new. Of course, I come home with not only sweet photos but also fresh veggies, artisan cheeses, pickled beets, chicken potpies, a broom, a birdhouse—you name it. I have become much more aware of sun positions, cloud formations, sky colors, and seasonal changes. I have lovely chats, chuckles, and philosophical discussions with people who live differently than I do. These expeditions, acquisitions, observations, and interactions are a really nice part of my life, for which I am grateful. I want to mention that any people in my shots are not posing. (The Amish farmer at Misty Creek did get his goats to pose for me.) You will find buggies in my pictures because they come by all the time. They are part of the scene. Still, sometimes I feel (or am) a little intrusive. So I thank all the folks who have unwittingly provided beautiful subject matter for my pictures. And a special thanks to those who have embraced, indulged, or just tolerated my obsession. This collection of photographs provides a glimpse of a special place on Earth. I love these pictures and the story they tell. I share them with you to enjoy, as I have.
Official Markers Every place has its local signage, but Lancaster County’s signs are special. We start with the descriptive historical marker at the county courthouse in downtown Lancaster and then head out into the county.
Lancaster County Historical Marker® (2011). N. Duke Street, Lancaster The historical marker is a registered trademark of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission and the marker text is copyrighted. Used with permission.
7
A book about the signs of Lancaster County must include a page featuring a sampling of town signs.
Many county residents are bilingual or even trilingual in English, High German, and a German dialect known as Pennsylvania German or Pennsylvania Dutch (Deutsch). They probably don’t need the signs to be in German, but the translations remain. Cat’s Back Road got its name from its path over a hill called Katzebuckel, meaning cat’s humpback. Katce Boucle is a Pennsylvania German spelling variation.
Clockwise from top left: Intercourse Town Marker (2012). W. Newport Road, Intercourse Bareville PA. Replica Train Station Sign (2005). Private Residence Old Kinzers Sign (2014). Private Residence (also known as Kinzer) New Holland Marker/New Holland Products (2013). Route 23, New Holland Blue Ball/Blue Car (2013). Route 23, Blue Ball Bird-in-Hand/Birds in Truck. (2011). Old Philadelphia Pike, Bird-in-Hand
8
School Road/Schule Weeg (2011). Farmersville Cat’s Back Road/Katce Boucle Weeg (2011). Farmersville Stone Quarry Road/Schtee Bruch Weeg (2011). Oregon Pike, Brownstown
9
Buggy Caution with Corn (2011). S. Belmont Road, Paradise Tractor Crossing (2006). N. Vintage Road, Paradise Whoa Do Not Block Drive (2011). Creek Hill Road, Leola
12
No Thru Vehicle Traffic Please Drive Slowly (2013). Miller Lane, Bird-in-Hand
13
Vignettes
Windy Town Dairy (2011). Route 23, New Holland
Eggs for Sale (2013). N. Hollander Road, Gordonville
Many small businesses walk the extra mile to make their sign into a scene. A sign and its immediate surroundings invite customers to come on in. The proprietors want the presentation to look nice. 14
Stoltzfus Woodworking Shop (2011). W. Newport Road, Ronks
King Doors (2012). Horseshoe Road, Lancaster
Bluebird Houses in Blue (2011). Horseshoe Road, Witmer
How clever to use blue paint for the BLUEBIRD HOUSES slat. I have never seen this charming sign look as pretty as it did on the August day I photographed it.
Quilts with Hanging Quilt (2011). Old Philadelphia Pike*, Intercourse
*For future reference, Old Philadelphia Pike is Route 340. It runs through both Bird-in-Hand and Intercourse.
15
