The inhabitants planted orchards and vineyards, and surrounded themselves with souvenirs of their old home.
A large number of them were linen-weavers, as well as small farmers.
The Quakers were the principal sect, but men of all religions were tolerated, and lived together in harmony.

In 1692 Richard Frame published, in what he called verse, a Description of Pennsylvania, in which he alludes to the settlement:-- "The German town of which I spoke before, Which is at least in length one mile or more, Where lives High German people and Low Dutch, Whose trade in weaving linen cloth is much, -- There grows the flax, as also you may know That from the same they do divide the tow.
Their trade suits well their habitation, We find convenience for their occupation." Pastorius seems to have been on intimate terms with William Penn, Thomas Lloyd, Chief Justice Logan, Thomas Story, and other leading men in the Province belonging to his own religious society, as also with Kelpius, the learned Mystic of the Wissahickon, with the pastor of the Swedes' church, and the leaders of the Mennonites.

He wrote a description of Pennsylvania, which was published at Frankfort and Leipsic in 1700 and 1701.

His Lives of the Saints, etc., written in German and dedicated to Professor Schurmberg, his old teacher, was published in 1690.

He left behind him many unpublished manuscripts covering a very wide range of subjects, most of which are now lost.