The Barns at Nappanee facts for kids
The Barns at Nappanee, Home of Amish Acres, once known as Amish Acres, is a fun place to visit in Nappanee, Indiana. It was created from an 80-acre Old Order Amish farm. This farm was bought in October 1968. The Stahly family first settled here in 1873. They were among the earliest Amish settlers in Indiana, arriving in 1839.
Amish Acres first opened to visitors in June 1970. It took over a year to restore the farm. The site grew to include nine original buildings and several others moved there. These included an ice house, a mint distillery, a maple sugar camp, and an apple cider mill. There was also a one-room school and a blacksmith shop. Three large barns and the Round Barn Theatre were also moved to the property. The original farm is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Before it closed in 2019, Amish Acres offered guided tours of the house and farm. Visitors could enjoy wagon rides and watch craft demonstrations. There were also restaurants and a musical theatre. The Inn at Amish Acres and the Nappanee Inn offered places to stay. The Barns at Nappanee restaurant and shop reopened on May 15, 2020. Other parts of the site are expected to open later.
Contents
The Farm's Story
The land where Amish Acres stands has a long history. In 1841, another Amish group started holding church services nearby. This area was one of the last parts of Elkhart County to be settled. This was because of a large swamp and thick forests.
In 1873, a railroad company planned a route through this area. This helped the town of Nappanee grow. The swamp was drained, creating very fertile farmland. A sawmill industry also grew, using the area's timber.
The Windmill Controversy
In 1893, the Moses Stahly family moved away to Kansas. This happened because of something called the "Windmill Controversy." Some Amish people did not want to use new machines like windmills to pump water. They also did not want to use new horse-drawn farm tools. The more traditional Amish families moved away instead of using these modern machines.
Noah Nisley, a cousin of Stahly's wife, bought the farm. The Nisley family built a new house on the farm. Later, Manasses Kuhns took over running the farm. Over time, the farm was not well cared for. But this neglect actually saved many old buildings. These buildings included a food-drying house, an outdoor brick oven, and an apple cider mill.
Reopening as The Barns
In November 2019, the founder Richard Pletcher announced that Amish Acres would close. He said it was time for him to retire. The property was sold in pieces at an auction in February 2020. Local buyers, including former U.S. representative Marlin Stutzman, bought the main attractions. They planned to reopen them.
Plans for reopening were shared in March 2020. The new name became "The Barns at Nappanee, Home of Amish Acres." The restaurant and store opened in May 2020. The opening of other parts was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
What is The Barns at Nappanee?
The idea for Amish Acres came from LaVern and Richard Pletcher. They were furniture merchants. Their goal was to save and restore the old farm buildings. They also wanted to offer tours to the public. Another goal was to help start Amish tourism in Nappanee.
The restoration work was finished by 1970. Albert Kuhns, whose family had lived on the farm, helped a lot. He remembered how the old buildings and machines worked. The farm opened to the public in June 1970.
The Pletchers worked with other business people to create Amish Acres. Over half of the visitors to Amish Acres come from outside Indiana. The site has been recognized by magazines like Time and Newsweek. It has been called Indiana's top tourist attraction.
The Round Barn Theatre
The Round Barn Theatre is famous for showing Plain and Fancy. This is a 1955 Broadway musical about Amish life and love. It was the first musical for writer Joseph Stein and composer Albert Hague. Both later won awards for other famous musicals.
The show Plain and Fancy ran for many years at Amish Acres. The Round Barn building was taken apart and rebuilt in 1992. It became a modern theatre with 400 seats. In 1995, other plays were added to the theatre's schedule. Actors for the shows are chosen from auditions held in New York City.
The theatre also has a scenic shop, costume shop, and rehearsal studio. These were completed in 2006. They also created The Joseph Stein Young Actors Studio. This offers classes and camps for children aged 8 to 12. High school students also put on full plays here.
In 2001, a book called This Wooden O was published. It celebrated the U.S. Postal Service releasing Amish Quilt stamps. The first stamps were issued from the Nappanee Post Office. The dedication ceremony was held in the Round Barn.
Arts and Crafts Festival
The Arts and Crafts Festival started small in 1962. It began as an art show in downtown Nappanee. Artists displayed their watercolors. Over time, more vendors joined, selling their arts and crafts. The festival also added food and entertainment.
Visitors started asking for Amish-related products. So, baked goods, meats, and jams were added. Horse and buggy rides and countryside tours also became part of the festival. By 1968, the festival had many Amish elements. This helped show that Amish Acres could be a successful idea.
In 1969, while the farm was being restored, the festival stayed downtown. Visitors were taken by shuttle to the farm for early tours. A year later, the festival moved to the farm's courtyard. As the festival grew, it moved to surround the pond.
Today, nearly 350 vendors from over 35 states take part each year. They compete for cash prizes. There are also three stages with continuous entertainment. The festival has been named one of the Top 100 Events in North America. It has also been ranked as one of the top traditional arts and crafts shows in the nation.
