#ThursdayDoors | Visiting A Popular Store In Ohio’s Amish Country

/ Ally Bean

Today I’m joining Thursday Doors, hosted by Norm Frampton, so that I can share with you the following door photos + a few more photos taken at Lehman’s in Kidron, OH.

Lehman’s, originally a small hardware store in Ohio’s Amish country, is now a 35,000 square foot retail store [plus online company]. According to the store’s website, “the full shopping experience is nearly a quarter mile long!”

I believe it. We had lunch, then wandered around the store for over an hour, purchasing gardening tools– and sustenance for the road in the form of fudge.  

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DOORS to the east entrance into the store.

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South end of a north bound water wagon, sans horses to pull it.

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DOOR [faux] painted on side of building.

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A large well-kept farm as seen while driving to Kidron, OH, in northeast Ohio.

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Painting of cow, that has nothing to do with doors, as seen on side of building. *moo*

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Grinding stone that at one time would have had a practical purpose, now part of a pretty flower garden.

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DOORS [faux] painted on side of building.

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75 thoughts on “#ThursdayDoors | Visiting A Popular Store In Ohio’s Amish Country”

    • Eilene, I think that you’re right. Farm life is difficult and uncertain, but authentic in the way it tests your mettle, I’m sure. It’s not for me, but I admire those who can do it. I do, however, like taking pics of farms…

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  10. Amish farms and stores are the best! I miss living in Tennessee and driving 8 miles to the Kentucky border to an Amish bakery that sold the best pies, cakes, cookies,and bread. Your trip looks so relaxing just visiting the beautiful countryside. The store looks very inviting, and I especially love the faux door paintings of the farm animals! Right up my alley!

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    • Beth, we stumbled on this place while wandering the backroads of Ohio. I’d never heard of it and It wasn’t on our itinerary for the day, but once we saw it we knew we had to go inside. Plus it was lunchtime and if there’s anything to be said for the Amish, they know food. Thought you’d like the faux doors. 😉

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    • Janis, this was the ultimate road trip find. We didn’t know about it, but saw it as we were driving though Kidron and said: “let’s stop.” I didn’t know that road trip calories didn’t count, but if you say so, I believe you.

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  12. Sounds like a fun visit Ally. I do like a dose of Amish comfort food, and fudge seems to me to be the best traveling snack. Your faux doors are a most amusing entry for Thursday Doors. And the paintings-as-doors reminded me I have my own kind of opposite version of a faux door – the center panel of a reclaimed door that’s been painted with a lovely golden tree and I keep propped up as my imaginary gateway into an indoor garden.

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    • Deborah, I couldn’t resist the fudge… or taking pics of the faux doors for this challenge. Please Note: there is one photo of real doors, so I’ve done what Norm wants. Plus a little more.

      I think your your golden tree door sounds wonderful. It’s clever of you to think of it in the way that you do. I’d find a door like most comforting in the dead of winter when all is gray and bleak.

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    • Excellent point, evil. And now that you mention it these painted doors had a certain cartoon look to them. Wile E. Coyote, when he was being calm, would fit right in.

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  16. We don’t see many farms like that out here in California. I really think some day the hubs and I are going to have to take some kind of trip through the other part of the country so I can see sights such as this. He was in Wisconsin for a time, when he lived with his aunt and uncle on a farm for 3 years of high school so he knows but this city/suburb girl is clueless. I love the painted doors, but the real ones are cool too.

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    • Janet, once you get out of urban/suburban areas in Ohio, there are farms where the land is cleared and fertile. Some farms are complete dumps, but many, like the one in the photo, are pristine and perfect to look at. Especially so in the Amish part of the state where people drive horse and buggies, wear traditional conservative clothes– and take pride in their unique lifestyle. Wisconsin is the same way, but maybe without the Amish?

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  17. It looks like fairy tale farms. What cool thing to stumble across. (Would hate to try and move that grinding stone…or have it topple on my foot. Looks perfect there)
    The barn’s paintings are so whimsical – and so well done.
    Some of the younger generation of Amish families started moving a bit north of Houston back in the ’80’s because there was more affordable land here. The have large barn raising. Always industrious workers and very neat farms.

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    • philmouse, the outside of this store looked part fairy tale and part Hollywood set. All of it was perfectly tidy and inviting, especially after having driven through miles of Amish farmlands, accurately described by you as “neat.” It was an accident that we ended up at this store, but some days you gotta go where the road takes ‘ya. In this case, to faux doors.

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  18. When I read the title, I thought, “Hmm. I’ve been to Amish country in Ohio. Maybe I’ll recognize the store.” And, Yes! Lehman’s in Kidron! Been there many times with my parents. Last visit years ago we went again with my children, who got to see it for the first time. We also wandered through the animal pens before the auction. Good times! My parents are almost regulars, or they would be if it were a closer drive.

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    • Jan, I know what you mean, it does almost seem unreal. There were many more farms just as pristine along the way. It was a great drive on a straight road that seemed to go to nowhere, until we got to Kidron. A fun adventure.

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    • Margaret, exactly. We didn’t go there for the fudge, but should we ever get back that way it’ll be the fudge that draws us in. Priorities, you know!

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  21. Your capture of the farm – soo cute – I could see this on a calendar of farms! And fudge …. sustenance?? Am laughing, because chocolate is one of my weaknesses – wouldn’t a sandwich,or fruit sustain you MORE (lol!) ?

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    • jesh, thank you. That photo does look calendar-worthy now that you mention it. The fudge was tasty and quite a treat. Considering we had a healthy lunch before we ate it, I refuse to feel guilty about eating it. 😉

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  22. I love those fun faux doors. There’s some seriously beautiful farm country in that part of the world.
    I’m sure I could spend a bundle on toys for the garden there if I ever visit this place.

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    • Norm, the faux doors were a surprise. I saw the real doors as we walked up to the store, then only after we walked out of the store did I realize there were faux doors. The garden department was amazing in Lehman’s. We restrained ourselves, but enjoyed poking around in it.

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    • Dan, I’d never heard of this store until we drove by it on our way from one end of the state to the other. And you know of it! [So did another commenter.]

      It was a fun place to visit and the whole store was stylish in a Farmer Is Practical Way. The faux doors were especially neat-o. Had to snap a few pics of them.

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  25. I love Lehman’s, Ally, and try to go there each time I visit my son in Cuyahoga Falls. A tad pricey, but the outlet store in back is a gold mine. But you know, after all the times I’ve been there I have never noticed the faux doors. Next time I must pay better attention.

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    • Janet, you’ve been there, too! I’d never heard of this place until a few weeks ago– and now I find out that three of my readers have been there. How wacky is that?

      I agree that it was a tad pricey, but it was such fun to shop in the store that I overlooked the prices. I think there must be more than one entrance so maybe you parked on the side of the building where there were no faux doors. A reasonable explanation for how you missed them…

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    • Marian, this store was a delight. Touristy, but with practical merchandise and delicious food. We stumbled upon the store while wandering the backroads, which made the whole experience more fun, I do believe.

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    • Sheryl, you said it. While we were there at the store I bought a round metal rack that goes inside a round roaster. The rack that came with the roaster had worn out, but Lehman’s had the exact size I needed. I was tickled to find it, truth be told.

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