Roscoe Village partners with chocolate brand

The Roscoe Village Foundation announced a new partnership with American Heritage Chocolate, the historically inspired chocolate brand developed by Mars Wrigley, to help educate consumers about chocolate’s role in America’s multicultural history.

In the 1800s chocolate arrived in canal towns like Roscoe as precious cargo — shipped in wooden crates and barrels, traded in small quantities, and considered a luxury item. Through this partnership guests will soon be able to taste that history firsthand.

American Heritage Chocolate will debut at the Roscoe Village Chocolate Walk Saturday, Feb. 7, where visitors will sample the chocolate at the start of their experience. It also will be incorporated into the foundation’s Builders, Traders & Trailblazers educational curriculum, helping thousands of Ohio students explore how goods like cocoa traveled global trade routes before reaching early Ohio communities.

Later this year, once renovations are complete, American Heritage Chocolate will be featured in the reimagined foundation shop inside the Hay Craft Building, joining other heritage-inspired goods that reflect Roscoe Village’s craft and trade story.

“Chocolate was considered a treasured luxury in the canal era — transported in small crates and barrels along waterways much like the Ohio & Erie Canal here in Roscoe,” said Sharon Kinkley Bucey, executive-in-residence at the Roscoe Village Foundation. “Partnering with American Heritage Chocolate allows us to tell a deeper story of global trade, craftsmanship and everyday life in early America. Guests won’t just see history; they’ll taste it.”

This collaboration strengthens Roscoe Village’s mission to bring early American commerce, connection and community to life through immersive, sensory-rich experiences.

Developed in 2006, American Heritage Chocolate was created by Mars Wrigley in collaboration with a multidisciplinary team of historians, researchers and culinary experts. Its recipe reflects chocolate as it was enjoyed in the 17th and 18th centuries — featuring spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, red pepper, anise and vanilla. Today, the brand is sold in over 50 fine gift shops at museums, historic sites and inns across the U.S. and Canada.

Its presence in Roscoe Village places the foundation among a select group of heritage destinations interpreting chocolate’s global and early American story.