G. H. Bent Company

The G. H. Bent Company, better known as Bent's Cookie Factory and recognized as bakers of "cold water crackers" since 1801, is a business specializing in cookies that has been operating in Milton, Massachusetts. [2] Bent's also sells a number of other baked goods, including their George and Martha Washington pies (both have powdered sugar on the top, the George with a cherry filling, and the Martha with a lemon filling). In addition, Bent's has expanded its menu to include a variety of sandwiches named after Milton-based themes.

G. H. Bent Company Factory
Location7 Pleasant St., Milton, Massachusetts
Coordinates42°14′44″N 71°4′08″W
Arealess than one acre
NRHP reference No.00000075[1]
Added to NRHPFebruary 10, 2000

History

Josiah Bent began selling "water crackers" (biscuits made of flour and water that would not deteriorate during long sea voyages) in 1801 from facilities in Milton. His company later sold the original hardtack crackers used by troops during the Civil War.[3] His grandson, George H. Bent, built the ​2 1⁄2-story wood-frame factory building at 7 Pleasant Street. The top two levels of the factory are where the cookies and other baked goods are made; the storefront is at street level.[4]

On February 10, 2000 the G.H. Bent Company Factory was added to the National Register of Historic Places.[1] In April 2001, Senator Ted Kennedy visited G.H. Bent Company to unveil the official National Register plaque and make remarks in honor of the bicentennial of the Bent cracker.

A gas explosion at Bent's in early 2006 blew out all the windows, but the company was up and running again within weeks. In December 2013, Dr. Anamika Twyman-Ghoshal purchased the building and leased operations of the factory and coffee shop back to Sean Christie and Chris Twyman (operating as the Kiwi Bakery, LLC).

See also

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. Burrell, Chris. "Two centuries of biscuit baking at Bent's in Milton". Wicked Local. Retrieved 2020-03-27.
  3. "Company History". G.H. Bent Company. Archived from the original on 2014-08-14. Retrieved 2014-05-23.
  4. "NRHP nomination for G.H. Bent Company". Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Retrieved 2014-05-23.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.