History

• The first Amish settlers in North America lived in Lancaster County.OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA image by Khylira from Fotolia.com
  
  Amish people settled in America early in the 18th century, establishing themselves in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Because strict “old order” Amish people historically do not use electricity, a craft such as furniture-making that requires only hand tools is one of the livelihoods that has developed over the centuries into an Amish tradition.
  
  

Misconceptions

• While old-school Amish craftspeople do not use any power tools, some Amish-owned and Amish-operated furniture workshops contract with non-Amish carpenters to rough-cut the raw materials for their craft using electric table saws and planers, then move the wood to their own workshops where they craft the pieces into household and garden furniture using hand planes, chisels, and other nonelectric tools. Other Amish communities use portable generators to power their carpentry tools, believing the prohibition on electricity applies only to commercially generated grid power.
  
  

Features

• Amish craftsman furniture is characterized by hand-shaped design features.wood work image by John Sfondilias from Fotolia.com
  
  If you like outdoor furniture made of solid wood such as oak, pine, and hickory with attention to fine craftsman details, you will appreciate Amish garden furniture. The construction and joinery methods the carpenters use to build each chair or garden bench is unmistakable. Dovetailed joints, hand-turned legs and spindles, perfectly matched wood grains, silky smooth finishing are all features of the most expertly made Amish furnishings.
  
  

Types

• While no one particular furnishing style distinguishes Amish garden furniture from commercially manufactured pieces, many Amish craftsmen favor the plain, clean lines of such traditional styles as Mission, Shaker, and Adirondack. Some Amish pass down a family preference for particular furniture styles from father to son and so become known for that type of product.
  
  

Considerations

• Do your part for the environment by buying furniture that will last.decorative garden bench image by Jeff Dalton from Fotolia.com
  
  Because Amish garden furniture is made piece by piece by craftsmen in a generations-long tradition of excellence, the furniture is built to last. Instead of replacing your patio chairs every two years, you can save several trees by investing in well-built pieces that require only periodic staining that will last for years to come.