Monsieur Giron's Confectionery, the two-story Greek Revival brick building in front of you, was erected here in 1829. Once a seven-bay block, you now face the three bays that remain in the north half of the original façade. Imagine the second floor stretching out above you — a 50-foot ballroom that could be opened and closed by folding doors into two separate spaces.
This corner of Lexington hosted notable visits: Mathurin Giron, a French immigrant who arrived in the early 19th century and ran the shop, entertained General Lafayette here in 1825, where Giron’s cook, Dominique Ritter, made a celebrated cake for the occasion. Giron had purchased the confectionery from Henry Terrass, whose wood frame building on Mill Street included that upstairs ballroom, and the business was once tied to “the yellow framed house on Main Street. In 1812 Giron advertised for an apprentice, and he briefly partnered with H.I.I. Robert in 1814.
The remaining remnant of the confectionery was recognized and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. Notice that this surviving fragment once hosted General Lafayette in 1825, when Giron's cook Dominique Ritter baked a celebrated cake for the occasion.