The Smicksburg, PA, Old Order Amish settlement is located in Indiana County about 65 miles (105 km) northeast of Pittsburgh. Founded in 1962 by families seeking cheaper farm land and motivated by a sincere desire to establish a "purer" Amish community, the settlement experienced steady growth. In the first 25 years of its existence, the Smicksburg community had seven church districts (congregations) with a total population of approximately 1,200, making it the fourth largest among the 40 Amish settlements in Pennsylvania. The Smicksburg community was representative of many of the newer settlements populated by younger and middle-aged Amish families seeking change within the traditional Amish customs of nonconformity to the outside world. 

Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Scottdale, Pennsylvania, and Waterloo, Ontario, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 5, p. 829. All rights reserved. For information on ordering the encyclopedia visit the Herald Press website.

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