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Monsieur Giron's Confectionery

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Coordinates: 38°02′55″N 84°29′55″W / 38.04861°N 84.49861°W / 38.04861; -84.49861 (Monsieur Giron's Confectionary)
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Monsieur Giron's Confectionery
Monsieur Giron's Confectionery in 1972
Monsieur Giron's Confectionery is located in Kentucky
Monsieur Giron's Confectionery
Monsieur Giron's Confectionery is located in the United States
Monsieur Giron's Confectionery
Location125 N. Mill St., Lexington, Kentucky
Coordinates38°02′55″N 84°29′55″W / 38.04861°N 84.49861°W / 38.04861; -84.49861 (Monsieur Giron's Confectionary)
Arealess than one acre
Built1829
Architectural styleGreek Revival
Part ofDowntown Commercial District (ID83000559)
NRHP reference No.74000866[1]
Significant dates
Added to NRHPDecember 27, 1974
Designated CPAugust 25, 1983

Monsieur Giron's Confectionery in Lexington, Kentucky, is a 2-story Greek Revival building constructed of brick in 1829. The building replaced an earlier wood frame building at the site, also occupied by Monsieur Giron's Confectionery. A 50-ft ballroom on the second floor was partitioned by folding doors into two spaces. Originally seven bays wide, only three bays in the north half of the building remain. The building's remnant was added to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1974.[2]

Noteworthy visitors

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Giron entertained General Lafayette at the Mill Street confectionery in 1825, and Giron's cook, Dominique Ritter, made a celebrated cake for the occasion.[2]

Mary Todd Lincoln was thought to have been one of the confectionery's best customers.[3]

History

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French immigrant Mathurin Giron arrived in Lexington in the early 19th century, and in 1812 he advertised for an apprentice to learn the confectionery business.[4]

Giron purchased the confectionery from Henry Terrass, owner of a wood frame building on Mill Street with an upstairs ballroom, and the business included "the yellow framed house on Main Street."[5] Giron partnered briefly with H.I.I. Robert in 1814 under the name M. Giron & H. Robert. The partnership operated at two locations, with Giron at the Mill Street site and Robert in charge of the Main Street branch.[6]

John Darrac organized a dancing school at the ballroom in 1815, with a "practizing (sic) ball every other week." Darrac also taught French language lessons.[7] By 1819 the dancing school was operated by Henry Guibert,[8] and in 1820 the school was taught by Mr. Schaffer.[9]

The ballroom also was used for dinners, lectures, and political gatherings.[10][11][12]

Giron advertised for apprentices in 1836.[13] In 1840 Mr. Richardson advertised his dancing school, and by that time Giron may not have been involved with the ballroom.[14] Giron retired from the confectionery in 1844.[2]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013.
  2. ^ a b c Mrs. George L. Foster (March 15, 1973). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Postal Finance Company / Monsieur Giron's Confectionery". National Park Service. Retrieved May 3, 2019. With accompanying photo from 1982
  3. ^ "Interesting Blue Grass Tours: Giron's Confectionery". Kentucky Kernel. Lexington, Kentucky. July 7, 1936. p. 3. Retrieved May 3, 2019.
  4. ^ "An Apprentice Wanted". Kentucky Gazette. Lexington, Kentucky. February 18, 1812. p. 4. Retrieved May 3, 2019.
  5. ^ "Confectioner & Distiller". Kentucky Gazette. Lexington, Kentucky. February 7, 1814. p. 4. Retrieved May 3, 2019.
  6. ^ "M. Giron & H.I.I. Robert". Kentucky Gazette. Lexington, Kentucky. December 5, 1814. p. 4. Retrieved May 3, 2019.
  7. ^ "Dancing School". Kentucky Gazette. Lexington, Kentucky. April 24, 1815. p. 1. Retrieved May 3, 2019.
  8. ^ "Henry Guibert". Kentucky Gazette. Lexington, Kentucky. February 12, 1819. p. 1. Retrieved May 3, 2019.
  9. ^ "Dancing School". Kentucky Gazette. Lexington, Kentucky. May 5, 1820. p. 1. Retrieved May 3, 2019.
  10. ^ "St. Patrick's Day". Kentucky Gazette. Lexington, Kentucky. March 9, 1837. p. 3. Retrieved May 3, 2019.
  11. ^ "Mr. Vaughan". Kentucky Gazette. Lexington, Kentucky. June 16, 1826. p. 3. Retrieved May 3, 2019.
  12. ^ "We are requested to state..." Kentucky Gazette. Lexington, Kentucky. March 19, 1836. p. 3. Retrieved May 3, 2019.
  13. ^ "Apprentices Wanted". Kentucky Gazette. Lexington, Kentucky. September 12, 1836. p. 3. Retrieved May 3, 2019.
  14. ^ "Last Notice; New Bookstore". Kentucky Gazette. Lexington, Kentucky. February 6, 1840. p. 4. Retrieved May 3, 2019.
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Media related to Monsieur Giron's Confectionery at Wikimedia Commons

Further reading

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  • William Kavanaugh Doty, The Confectionery of Monsieur Giron (The Michie Company, 1915)
  • James Lane Allen, Flute and Violin (Harper & Brothers, 1899), "King Solomon of Kentucky"
  • John Dean Wright, Lexington: Heart of the Blue Grass (University Press of Kentucky, 1982), pp 39–40. Wright cites 1837 as the year of construction.


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