Amish barn raising brings business back from ashes

by Tina-Cole Mullins

In the early morning hours of Feb. 2,  a fire started in the attic area of the Schwartz Family Market on Williamston Road in Bunkerhill Township. The devastating blaze destroyed the store and a barn. But thanks to the Amish community, cleanup and rebuilding started the very next day.

“We had just marked our 90 days in business the day prior, opening on Nov. 1 of last year,” market owner Mark Schwartz said.

According to Schwartz, fire inspection revealed “the wiring was old and outdated.”

“In the past years, they had used newspapers as insulation and (the fire) appeared to have started from outdated wiring,” he added.

Neighbor Shannon Murray called the fire “very devastating.”

“Thankfully no one was hurt, but Mark spent a lot of time in his office. It had all his important papers and money. He is in shock right now,” Murray said the morning after the fire. “The business and barn were a complete loss. Their horses were safe but they lost several dogs and rabbits.”

But in the middle of this heartbreaking loss, the Amish community rallied to help with a barn raising. By the late evening of Feb. 3, the fire debris was cleared away, making way for the raising of the barn beginning the following morning.

“We (the Amish community) are self-sustaining and do not use insurance companies,” Schwartz said. “So we did not have to wait for a company to come out before we could start cleaning up.”

By end of day on Feb. 4, trusses were up and started. All the framing was completed by Feb. 5 and the barn raised within a week, in spite of inclement weather.

Murray observed and photographed the barn raising. The collection of photos display the true Amish determination and work provided to help the Schwartz Family.

“I love to watch them build, it’s always so fast,” Murray said.

However, the new store would take a little longer as there are steps and permits needed for the public building. Now, they have received their permits and will rebuild of the store and warehouse.

“The store was lost 90 days after our opening. We hope to open once again 90 days after the fire,” Schwartz said.

Currently the weather is the only thing blocking completion and the thawing of the ground is needed to do their floors and finish of the interior. He hopes to be back to original operating hours by the end of spring.

That’s good news for customers of the Schwartz Family Market.

Young Spencer Bulko, of Stockbridge, enjoyed playing with the puppies and rabbits Schwartz’s daughter Melena brought to the market.

“We love going to both the Bunkerhill Market and the Schwartz store,” said Chris Sally, Spencer’s grandmother. “Ms. Schwartz makes him his own pumpkin pie every week.”

Spencer saves his allowance to purchase cinnamon rolls to give to Bunkerhill merchants, and buys items from those vendors to share with the Schwartzes, his grandmother said.

Mark and Carol Schwartz and their five children between the ages of 26 and 15 moved to the area in November 2019.  The children are Joanna, Amanda, Jesse, Lucas and Melena. The couple also lost infant twins.

Prior to the fire, the well-stocked market contained general goods and pantry item staples. They sold their personal baked goods, bulk baked goods, dairy products, butter and cheeses.

The store motto was: “We don’t have much of anything, but we have a lot of everything!”

The new store and warehouse will be almost double in size, allowing ample space for storage and processing of their goods. Currently the Schwartz bakery has various types of pies, hand pies, breads, cookies and cinnamon rolls.

The Schwartz Family Bakery has resumed taking weekly orders for fruit-flavored fruit pies, cinnamon rolls, breads and cookies. Orders are due by Thursday evening for a Saturday order pickup at the farm home at 4200 S. Williamston Road. For orders, call 517-589-0827.

Author’s Note: Watch future editions of the SCN for information on the reopening of Schwartz Family Market and more on the Schwartz Family and the Amish within our community.