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The Baker Chocolate Company: A Sweet History
February 22, 2018 | 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm
$10.00Event Navigation
The Old South Meeting House is pleased to welcome you to a program dedicated to a chapter of Boston’s “sweet” history.
In 1765, Dr. James Baker of Dorchester was said to have stumbled upon Irishman John Hannon “crying on the banks of the mighty Neponset River.” Hannon, though penniless, possessed the rare skills required to make chocolate, a delicacy exclusive to Europe, and Baker, with pockets bursting, wished to make a name for himself. Using a mill powered by the river upon which they met, the duo built America’s oldest and most beloved manufacturer of this rich treat. Local historian Anthony Sammarco details the delicious saga of the Dorchester-based Baker Chocolate Company, from Hannon’s mysterious disappearance and the famed La Belle Chocolatiere advertising campaign, to cacao bean smuggling sparked by Revolutionary War blockades. Both bitter and sweet, this tale is sure to tickle your taste buds.
$10, General Admission (includes light refreshments);
$5, OSMH Members (includes admission to private reception with the author, 5:30-6:00 pm). http://osmhfeb22-18.bpt.me
Book sales and signing will follow the lecture.
Free General Admission to EBT card holders, no preregistration necessary.
Old South Meeting House is accessible for visitors using wheelchairs.
Assistive listening system is available.
Old South Meeting House is committed to accessibility for all visitors and has been designated as an UP Organization by the Massachusetts Cultural Council.
Access questions? Call us at 617-482-6439
Did You Know?
Certain books were “banned in Boston” at least as far back as 1651, when one William Pynchon wrote a book criticizing Puritanism.