G. H. Bent Company
Encyclopedia
The G.H. Bent Company, better known as Bent's Cookie Factory, is a business specializing in cookie
s that has been operating in Milton, Massachusetts
, since 1801.
Besides cookies, Bent's 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 1891, George H. Bent, the grandson of Josiah Bent, built the current structure at 7 Pleasant Street. The top two levels of the factory are where the cookies and other baked goods are made while the storefront is located on the street level.
On February 10, 2000 the G.H. Bent Company Factory was added to the National Register of Historic Places
, reference number 00000075. In April 2001, Senator Ted Kennedy
visited GH Bent Company to unveil the official National Register plaque and make remarks in honor of the bicentennial of the Bent cracker.
In early 2006, there was a gas explosion at Bent's which blew out all of the windows. However within weeks Bent's was up and running again.
Cookie
In the United States and Canada, a cookie is a small, flat, baked treat, usually containing fat, flour, eggs and sugar. In most English-speaking countries outside North America, the most common word for this is biscuit; in many regions both terms are used, while in others the two words have...
s that has been operating in Milton, Massachusetts
Milton, Massachusetts
Milton is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States and part of the Greater Boston area. The population was 27,003 at the 2010 census. Milton is the birthplace of former U.S. President George H. W. Bush and architect Buckminster Fuller. Milton also has the highest percentage of...
, since 1801.
Besides cookies, Bent's 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).
History
In 1801, Josiah Bent began a baking operation in Milton, selling "water crackers" or biscuits made of flour and water that would not deteriorate during long sea voyages from the port of Boston. The crackling sound occurred during baking, hence the name. While the company likes to say that this is where the American term "cracker" originated, the OED has a citation for its use in 1739. His company later sold the original hardtack crackers used by troops during the Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
In 1891, George H. Bent, the grandson of Josiah Bent, built the current structure at 7 Pleasant Street. The top two levels of the factory are where the cookies and other baked goods are made while the storefront is located on the street level.
On February 10, 2000 the G.H. Bent Company Factory was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
, reference number 00000075. In April 2001, Senator Ted Kennedy
Ted Kennedy
Edward Moore "Ted" Kennedy was a United States Senator from Massachusetts and a member of the Democratic Party. Serving almost 47 years, he was the second most senior member of the Senate when he died and is the fourth-longest-serving senator in United States history...
visited GH Bent Company to unveil the official National Register plaque and make remarks in honor of the bicentennial of the Bent cracker.
In early 2006, there was a gas explosion at Bent's which blew out all of the windows. However within weeks Bent's was up and running again.