Visit Our Historic Gift & Candy Shops
Old North’s campus is home to a gift shop and candy store, both of which are housed in historic buildings with unique stories to tell. Learn more about Two Lanterns: Gifts at Old North Church and Ye Olde Pepper Candy Pantry.
Two Lanterns: Gifts at Old North Church
We’re thrilled to share that Old North’s Gift Shop is now Two Lanterns: Gifts at Old North Church. Our reimagined shop features decor and gifts closely linked to the history of our campus and the city of Boston. Two Lanterns offers a new line of exciting products, many of which are handcrafted by American artisans. Best of all, 100% of Two Lanterns’ profits support the preservation and interpretation of Old North Church.
Two Lanterns is located in what was once the St. Francis of Assisi Chapel, an important religious and cultural center for Italian Protestant immigrants living in Boston’s North End. Built in 1918, the chapel ministered to Waldensians, a medieval Christian sect with origins in the 12th century.
Ye Olde Pepper Candy Pantry
Something sweet has arrived on Old North’s campus! Ye Olde Pepper Candy Companie has opened a pop-up shop and history experience in the 1715 Clough House, a historic brick building located behind Old North Church at 21 Unity Street, Boston.
Founded in Salem, MA, in 1806, Ye Olde Pepper Candy Companie is the oldest candy company in America. The company’s signature candies, the Salem Gibralter and the Black Jack, are recognized as the first candies ever sold commercially in the United States. Both are still made by hand using their original recipes.
Mary Spencer, an English immigrant who was shipwrecked off the New England coast in the early 1800s, created the Salem Gibralter after neighbors donated a barrel of sugar to help her start over. Her son Thomas later partnered in the business before selling it to John Pepper, who created the Black Jack. The company has passed through four families and nearly two centuries, arriving at the Clough House in 2026 as a living artifact of American ingenuity and perseverance.
The pop-up shop at Old North, the Ye Olde Pepper Candy Pantry, carries a full range of Ye Olde Pepper Candy Companie’s candies, chocolates, and sweets. Beyond the treats, the space offers a deep dive into American candy history. Visitors will encounter original manufacturing equipment from the late 1800s, historical photographs, artifacts, and a 1913 book written by the uncle of Thomas Spencer, son of company founder Mary Spencer. History cards tracing the stories of the Gibralter and Black Jack accompany purchases, and a QR code gives visitors a live look at candy being made in the company’s Salem kitchen.
The Ye Olde Pepper Candy Pantry pop-up shop will run through October 31.
Read More About Our Gift Shops
Visit Our Online Gift Shop
Order gifts for the history lover in your life! Visit Two Lanterns: Gifts at Old North Church online.
The Surprising Origins of Old North's Gift Shop
Watch a video about the surprising history of the St. Francis Chapel.
Free History Exhibit in the Clough House
Discover the free history exhibit across the hall from Heritage Goods + Gifts.