Fifty Amish Men Raise Massive Barn In Singular Working Day

Jul 20, 2021 by apost team

The Amish community is a group of traditional church fellowships with Swiss German and Alsatian Anabaptist roots. They are known for their simple lifestyles that do not use any advanced technology. They pride themselves on their old-world values and self-sufficiency. The Amish also value living in rural environments, hard work, manual labor and order. They live in a way that they believe honors the word of God.  

One event that really symbolizes the shared values of the Amish community is barn raising. Through hours of manual labor, socializing, and working toward a common goal, barn raising helps bring the Amish people together and provides a practical outcome: a new barn. 

Everyone has a role to play in this activity as well. The men work on the barn while the women cook a hearty meal for their break time and take care of the children and household chores.

In a video from May 13, 2014, you can see 1600 images that were taken from 7:00 A.M. until around 5:00 P.M., which is a total of 10 hours of work time that was compressed into 3 minutes and 30 seconds of footage. 

The time-lapsed images show all of the men working together to build the foundation, raise the walls and attach the roofing. The video was taken in Ohio and used a wireless remote timer to take photos every 20 seconds. The video’s description on YouTube said the photos were taken by Scott Miller, who also stopped to help with the barn as well.

Read on to learn more about Amish barn raising and the incredible ways the community works together. 

According to Amish America, “A barn raising is an example of a frolic, a work event that combines socializing with a practical goal. The barn raising fulfills a practical need and also serves to tie the Amish community together, reinforcing Amish society through a very visible expression of the principle of mutual aid.” 

The event could also be centered around building a different structure, like a home or church. The structure is really only part of the process, the community gathering and working together is the actual goal. It is a way that they are able to put their Christian beliefs into practice that also has a practical outcome. 

Amish America also added, “Barn raisings are synonymous with Amish life, and have become iconic of the people, often being featured in images of the Amish or portrayed on film in such movies as ‘Witness’. A barn raising is a showcase of Amish planning, organization, and manual labor. Amish tap into the social capital and goodwill in the community, mobilize labor and come together to erect a building which serves as a practical linchpin of their agriculturally-rooted communities.”

A barn raising is an event for every member of the community. There are typically around 100 attendants, with women providing food and the children doing what they can to help as well. There are also a number of observers and others who are there to offer support. Amish America quotes one Amishman as having said, “We look forward to raisings. There are so many helping, no one has to work too hard. We get in a good visit.”

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Are you impressed with this barn being built in only a day? What is your opinion on the Amish lifestyle? Let us know what you think, and be sure to send this on to your loved ones.