With Valentine’s Day approaching, Boston candy lovers are once again stocking up on their favorite treats.

But for several years, there was something missing from the holiday, Necco Sweethearts, the iconic conversation hearts that had been a staple of February 14 celebrations for generations. When Necco ceased production in 2018, it left a void in candy aisles and in the hearts of those who grew up with the pastel-colored sweets. Though the treats returned to shelves under new ownership in 2020, their absence for a time was a bittersweet reminder of Boston’s lost candy empire.

Long before the Seaport became populated by the glass towers and bustling restaurants of the new “innovation district,” a different kind of industry dominated the Fort Point neighborhood. Once the heart of candy making in the U.S., the New England Confectionery Company, better known as Necco, operated its first factory out of 253 Summer Street. Upon its 1902 completion, the plant’s four five-story buildings made up the largest candy manufacturing factory in the U.S.

Necco’s roots date back to 1847 when Oliver Chase, an English immigrant, invented the first American candy-making machine. His creation revolutionized the industry, allowing mass production of lozenges that would eventually become the famous Necco Wafers. Over time, Chase’s company merged with other confectioners, forming the New England Confectionery Company in 1901. For much of the 20th century, the Necco factory in Fort Point was a hub of activity, churning out millions of wafers and candies each year.

While the company moved from its Fort Point home to Cambridge in 1927, and then finally to Revere in 2003, its legacy landmarks the Seaport’s industrial past and Boston’s once famous sweet tooth.

Necco was more than just a candy company. It was an innovator in the industry. During World War II, Necco Wafers were included in soldiers’ rations due to their durability and long shelf life. The company also pioneered the mass producing of Valentine’s Day conversation hearts, a tradition that continues today, despite the factory’s closure.

The Necco name, however, lives on. The rights to produce the conversation candy was purchased by Spangler Candy Company, which revived production of Necco Wafers in 2020.

The location of the old Fort Point Necco factory was home to General Electric (GE) for some time after the company relocated to Boston from Fairfield, Connecticut in 2019 with plans for a $200 million renovation. But in 2023, GE downsized and left Fort Point for an office downtown.

Today, the site is home to the Eli Lilly Seaport Innovation Center, the central hub for Lilly’s genetic medicines lab research for diseases like diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular diseases, neurodegeneration and chronic pain. The old candy factory’s transition from sugary sweets to cutting edge medical research is emblematic of the Seaport’s own transformation from an industrial powerhouse to a center for innovation. But this Valentine’s Day when a pastel candy heart propositions you to “Be Mine,” remember that the priceless tradition is rooted in Seaport sentimentality.