In some conservative Amish settlements you might not even notice a little unobtrusive building like this. It's rather bland and sits back from the road. Not much about it catches the eye. I've been in this very structure (and others like it). What do you think is inside? You might be surprised.
This building is essentially a "comfort station" for this very conservative group of Amish. You have a hitching post, a port-o-potty with flush toilet, and can you guess what might be inside the building?
This building has been around for a number of years, at least since the early 90s, tucked away among the grid of rural roads in the Geneva, Indiana Amish settlement. This is a very conservative community that doesn't yet embrace solar panels or other progressive technological options. At first, this was just a small shack-like building with a phone-line running into it. As the Amish have gradually evolved away from an agrarian culture, the need to conduct commerce, schedule rides, and doctor appointments has increased. The building provides a convenient place to do this - although at a price. The building is owned by a non-Amish person who has essentially some "pay phones" for Amish people to use. I always felt a little Orwellian going in there, with mounted security cameras monitoring my every move. Nothing like trust. But then the passage of time brought another economic opportunity: freezers. Those who guessed that this was a community freezer building were correct. The inside of this building is full of floor-model freezers that Amish families rent so they can store fruit, meats, and other perishables. Home-canning is still the food preservation method of choice for most Amish homemakers, but freezing offers and opportunity to put away more food. And some cite food safety reasons for allowing the freezers.
The use of electric freezers may seem odd to outsiders (some use the word hypocritical), but it's not as strange as it seems. The Amish have less of an issue with electricity and technology in itself and more with the issue of "being on the grid." They don't want electric in their homes because that can open the door to all sorts of unsavory elements (television, internet, etc), but a food locker for freezing in some building away from home? No big deal. That's why you'll occasionally see Amish homemakers who fall behind on their laundry visiting a laundromat in town. They draw a clear distinction between owning and using a technology. Might you one day see "internet stations" in the building that Amish people can use to surf the web away from home? I don't think it's a huge stretch, it might be 5 or 10 years from now...but its possible.
Margie Conrad
A community deep freeze building?
Arlene Morr
Looks like there is electric going to the building.....other than that...no ideas !
MWeisgerber
Community telephone building?
Doreen
That was the only thought I had, too.
Kentuckylady717
Some type of community meeting building !!!
Barb
School
Mary Ellen
Bulk Food Store
Theresa
Phone shanty
Barb W.
I agree with Margie, communty deep freeze building.
j.w.blust
It's a telephone booth. Doesn't everyone have a phone in the throne room?
Cindy Harrison
I think I agree with Margie & that it is a community place for freezers.
Mary Ann Gies
telephone
Linda Clark
Is this even Amish owned? At the top of the pole with wires it looks like a small security camera, the type you see in parking lots etc. I'm baffled!!!
Kevin
Linda, good observation about the security camera! I just updated the post to tell what is in the building. Margie and Barb were correct!
Charlotte
very interesting post. Thanks.
Wendy
Interesting, I don't see my post here. No matter, I was close, but no cigar.
"They draw a clear distinction between owning and using a technology." This is an interesting point, one I sort of knew, but didn't really consider. I imagine this mindset is also helpful to keep folks from being so materialistic too.
Helen Christensen
When had uncle who had a diary farm they had Amish working for them. But for things like milkers my uncle and cousins had to plug them in and then the Amish would do the rest.But at that time the Amish did not plug things into outlets.
Linda
In the back of this building there used to be an accounting office which was used for a wholesale company that used to be owned by the Amish. I know I worked there.
Kevin
Linda, are you certain? If you are referring to Shetler's, that is a mile or so away....
Linda
yes I am certain and that is the company in this building we just got the orders typed up and then we took them to the warehouse which was a mile or so away for them to be packed.