Confectionary Cambridge: Candy-making in History and Memory (O'Connell)

By

Cambridge Public Library

Free

Event image for Confectionary Cambridge: Candy-making in History and Memory (O'Connell)

Free event at the Cambridge Public Library.

Optional registration

  • Sign-up is ongoing

Registration is optional for this event. Read the event description for more information.

Cost

This Event is free!

Location

  • In-person only.

O'Connell Branch Library

48 6th Street
Cambridge, MA 02141
United States

Neighborhood

East Cambridge

Dates and Times

Tuesday, March 4 6PM – 7PM

Additional information

Join History Cambridge's Beth Folsom and historian Caitlin Hopkins for a program exploring several centuries of candy history, focusing on the people who worked in the candy industry, and those who have consumed and enjoyed it over the decades.  

The local candy-making industry goes back to the 1760s, when an Irish immigrant named John Hannon built a chocolate mill on the Neponset River in Dorchester. For over 250 years, Cambridge was a confectionary hub, boasting over 60 candy producers at its peak in the mid-20th century. The story of candy-making (and candy-eating) here is a complex one whose origins include the rise of industrialization, immigration, and the legacy of slavery both in Massachusetts and in the Caribbean. 

Free

Event image for Confectionary Cambridge: Candy-making in History and Memory (O'Connell)

Tuesday, March 4 6PM – 7PM

View more dates

Main Library Q&A Desk

Help & Information Desk

617-349-4041
View location information

Is there anything wrong or outdated? Please let Find It Cambridge know!

Last updated February 6, 2025.

Related events

More from the organization that brought you this event.

Previous
Next

See all events from Cambridge Public Library

Related programs

More from the organization that brought you this event.

Previous
Next

See all programs from Cambridge Public Library