The Pennsylvania Dutch

I visited the Pennsylvania Dutch area recently for a long weekend with my Mom. Many branches of our family tree descend from German and Swiss immigrants who arrived through Philadelphia and settled in this area before moving further south to Maryland. We planned a weekend of genealogy research and a little sight seeing for a quick get away. I know a fair amount about the Amish and Mennonite communities having grown up near here but the weekend revealed some surprises. Though one thing it did not reveal was why my 5th great-grandfather was 54 when he married his 29 year old bride. So back to the drawing board for that!

The common interpretation of the Pennsylvania Dutch is a little misleading on two levels: the vast majority are not of Dutch descent as the name implies and the community consists of more than just the well known Amish and Mennonite faiths. The term "Dutch" comes from the German word for "German", or Deutsch. The original settlers were primarily from German-speaking Switzerland and the Palatine area of Southern Germany. There are no windmills in this part of Europe so I always think it's funny when I see that symbol used in tourist traps. These German-speaking immigrants arrived in the US in the 1600's through the port of Philadelphia and settled in that county as well as Chester and Lancaster Counties. They were protestants who were escaping religious persecution in their homelands - from both Catholics and other Protestant faiths. The primary religious group was Lutheran or German Reformed. The more well-known Anabaptists (Amish, Mennonite, and Brethren) lived a more simple life and one of their core beliefs was baptism in adulthood rather than as a child. This core tenant of their faith led to ostracism from both Catholics as well as Protestants and contributed to their desire to emigrate and their more insular lifestyle. My family was primarily in this Anabaptist grouping and particularly of the Brethren faith. Incidentally, this makes genealogy research difficult as it's often hard to determine birth year when only baptisms were recorded in church records. The Anabaptists are also called "Plain people or Dutch" while the others like the German Reformed are considered " Fancy Dutch." These two categorizations drive many distinctions between the people you will encounter, including the use of technology and manner of dress.

One thing that you will see in this area, especially on older and more remote farms, is the use of the "hex" sign on houses and barns. They are certainly beautiful and unique to this region but there is a lot of uncertainty about their origin and meaning. The Fancy Dutch community was known for symbolic embellishment in their documents (wills, birth records, etc.) and in home accessories such as pottery. This folk art is known as Fraktur and generally consists of a circle with some symbolic pictures within it, such as stars, birds or plants. The circle designates the cycle of life, the stars denote divinity and many of the floral and plant symbols represent good luck and prosperity. Paint was not commonly available before the 1840's so the inclusion of this art on barns was a later development. It's likely that this tradition started as a continuation of decoration and well-wishing and not as a means of warding off evil spirts as is often thought. The origin of the term "hex" is also uncertain and does not seem to have been widely used before the 1940's when a book of these symbols was used and the German word "hexefoos" (witch's foot) was referenced and it seems to have stuck.

One other common sight in Pennsylvania Dutch country is covered bridges and there are about 28 still existing in Lancaster County alone. Pennsylvania is seen as the birthplace of the covered bridge in the US and still has the most of any state and Lancaster County has the most within the state. Covered bridges are primarily wooden, had been built to cross streams rather than rivers, and are almost always single lane. The oldest surviving covered bridge in the world is in Switzerland so it's not surprising that Swiss and German immigrants brought that tradition to the US. The walls and roof of the bridge were designed to protect it from the elements and extend the life of the bridge, one of the reason there are still so many today. However, with the development of less expensive metal materials and the increased weight and demand of cars, the bridges fell out of favor. It's still a magical sight to see a horse and buggy driving through one so gather a local map and take a drive through the countryside.

If you do want to visit Lancaster's Pennsylvania Dutch community, there are lots of local guides and tours which will include information on the hex signs and bridges. It would be best to avoid Sundays when most (but not all) tourist attractions and shopping opportunities will be closed. Please do get off the beaten path and meander through the back roads, it's where you will see some of the most picturesque sights.

Someone Forgot A Few, Leacock, PA

Beautiful Old Barn, Leacock, PA

Corn Cribs, Leacock, PA

PA Dutch Hex Signs, Bird-in-Hand, PA

PA Dutch Hex Signs, Bird-in-Hand, PA

Hunsecker's MIll Covered Bridge, Leacock, PA

Leaman Place Covered Bridge, Paradise, PA

The Amish Indeed Do Not Like To Be Photographed, Bird-in-Hand, PA

Old Barn Near Paradise, PA

Old Gas Pumps, Bird-in-Hand, PA

Horse and Buggy, Bird-in-Hand, PA

Conestoga Wagon (it was created here), Bird-in-Hand, PA