Stories

Soy vs. Coconut Wax Candles: What's the Difference, and Why We Blend Both

Soy wax or coconut wax? Learn how each burns, holds fragrance, and performs, and why our candles are hand poured with a blend of both.

What Did Colonial Alexandria Actually Smell Like?

Tar and hemp on the wharves, tobacco in the warehouses, woodsmoke and bread on King Street. A sensory walk through 18th-century Alexandria, Virginia.

Gifts for American History Lovers Under $50: A Guide That Isn't Another Biography

Meaningful gifts for history buffs, all under $50: hand-poured candles inspired by early American history, each with its own story card.

How Long Should You Burn a Candle? The Complete Care Guide

How long to burn a candle, why the first burn matters most, how to fix tunneling, and when to stop. The complete care guide.

Ona Judge, the Woman Who Said No

She was twenty-two, enslaved in the President's House, and about to be given away as a wedding present. On a May evening in 1796, she walked out the door instead.

Yorktown: The Town the Sea Decided

Yorktown was a tobacco port for ninety years before it was anything else. What settled its most famous moment was not the land at all. It was the water.

Chef Hercules, the Cook Who Chose Freedom

The true story of Hercules Posey, George Washington's enslaved head chef, who self-emancipated from Mount Vernon on February 22, 1797 and was never found.

Candles of Old Town Alexandria

Every candle we pour starts with a question: what did this place smell like? A walk through the Old Town streets behind four of our scents.

Wheatley, the Poet Behind Our Bestseller

Our bestselling candle is named for a poet who published a book while still enslaved, and who met George Washington at twenty-two on the strength of her writing.

The Blue and White Bowl

Eighteen ounces, three wicks, and a vessel designed to outlive the candle. The blue and white tradition behind the bowl, and how to give yours a second life.