UNITY — It was only three weeks ago that a landmark store in Unity run by the Amish was destroyed in a fire.
But the Amish community wasted little time in clearing away the debris of the Unity Community Market and rebuilding. The shell of the new building already is in place and Amish men continued their work Thursday.
The market opened in 2010 and offered everything from fresh fruit and vegetables to handmade furniture, tools, apparel and baked goods, including fried doughnuts that were popular.
Caleb Stoll, the owner of the market, said the day after the Jan. 20 fire that it was important to quickly rebuild, because the market was the source of income for members of the community who worked there.
He said there was no insurance on the building, because the concept of such coverage runs counter to Amish beliefs.
“We help each other a tremendous amount,” Stoll said at the time.
Stoll is the bishop of an Amish community that began settling in Unity and Thorndike in 2008, where they found workable farmland with a sufficient amount of land for their needs. There are about 25 families and between 150 and 200 people who belong to the community.
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