When you drive through Amish country you'll notice every mile or two a small wooden building with telephone lines going into it.
This is an Amish phone shack! The Amish culture does not allow conveniences like a telephone inside their home, however they are allowed to use a telephone outside of their home.

Every couple of miles there is a phone shack. Each phone shack is financed by the surrounding neighbors. Imagine sharing a phone bill with 8 other families. Must be nice! Even though the phone is financed by the neighbors in that block, everyone is allowed to use it for local calling.

Inside the typical Amish phone shack you'll find a desk, chair and a bulletin board with important numbers like- Amish taxi drivers, pizza restaurants that deliver, voicemail numbers for other Amish families, etc...

You'll also find a car battery on the floor usually hooked to a solar charger. The battery is for several things, the telephone, lights and a small space heater.
During the cold winter months you'll see Amish woman wearing their typical black dress riding their bikes as fast as they can to the warm phone shack to make a few calls.

After a long days work and a delicious dinner its quite common for the whole family to head to the phone shack.
For the Amish child, the phone shack's contents make for an exciting escape from their simple lifestyle at home.

Who do they call, you ask?
They call English friends, make Doctors appointments and with the huge growth of Amish Furniture Craftsmen they are returning calls to Amish furniture store owners all over the country.

In the recent years phone shacks have been popping up beside barns and furniture woodshops. The Amish people along with their church Bishops seem to be getting more and more flexible on certain modern conveniences.

Some Amish push the limit and purchase cell phones, but it's not long before they are found out and the Church Deacon has to make a visit to tell them to get rid of the phone.

I have so many interesting stories to share of my experience in Amish country. I've broken them down to make it easier to read.
Use the links below to find different articles.

Amish Taxi   Fishing Trip    Phone Shack