Amish Scenes From Smyrna – Part I

Amish school and some outbuildings in Smyrna

AMISH IN SMYRNA

By Kevin Williams

AMISH IN SMYRNA: The Amish community around Smyrna is Maine’s oldest, founded in 1996.  Many Amish in the area are from the Aylmer and Lindsay, Ontario settlements, which puts this community on the more progressive or liberal end of the spectrum.  Smyrna is right off of I-95 about an hour or so north of Bangor and only about an hour from the border with New Brunswick.

The community has grown so large (about 25 families now) that a new community was started in nearby Patton.  The settlement seems to have a mix of occupations: a metalworks, a shed business, a general store, a harness shop, a rustic furniture business, all scratching out a living in this rural backwater of northern Maine.  Pioneer Place General Store seems to be the hub of the community.The general store was doing a brisk business even during an off peak Wednesday afternoon.  I was hoping to find a bakery in the general store, but no dice.  The store does sell a variety of hardware, homesteading supplies and some bulk candies and flour.

The Amish school is tucked away in between the general store and Kauffman metal, so family and friends are never more than a stone’s throw away, which probably makes it safe and enjoyable for the kids.

Here are some photos from Smyrna, and in the days ahead I’ll post more about Pioneer place and I’ll post about a new Amish friend I made in the community and share photos from his house. So stay tuned, meanwhile, enjoy these scenes from Smyrna!:)

Kauffman Metal works is one of the busier Amish businesses in the community.

Middle of April and snow still on the ground, quite common in northern Maine!

An Amish Harness Shop can be found in the Smyrna community