WORCESTER-Fittingly, the heart of the commonwealth was featured in the Valentine’s Day posts of the state’s top office holders Wednesday, though the reason was due to Worcester’s history and not its nickname.
“Did you know that Esther Howland, the mother of the American valentine, built her business in Worcester?” Gov. Maura Healey wrote in a post on X. “Another example of our state’s legacy of independent and innovative women.”
Healey also shared a link to a CNN article detailing Howland’s impact on Valentine’s Day.
“She was the Martha Stewart of her day. She would have killed it on Etsy,” Vanessa Bumpus, exhibit coordinator at the Worcester Historical Museum in Massachusetts, told the news outlet.
The museum details the history of Howland and Valentine’s Day on its website, explaining that while Howland was not the first to send custom valentines, she worked with her family business to mass produce them and eventually helped launch the New England Valentine Company on Main Street in Worcester.
Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell also mentioned the city’s history in a Feb. 14 post.
“Happy Valentine’s Day! Fun Fact: Did you know Worcester was the center of the Valentine’s Day card industry in the US for nearly 100 years?” Campbell wrote. “Worcester isn’t only the heart of the Commonwealth, but it’s also always the center of attention.”
Campbell then shared her own valentines with phrases, including “Valentine, you bring me JOY” and “I love you more than billionaires love putting profits over people.”
Worcester Mayor Joseph Petty shared the post, adding, “Glad you’re seeing the big hearts we have in Worcester, we look forward to seeing you soon!”
Kiernan Dunlop is an award-winning journalist who has spent the past five years reporting in Worcester, New Bedford, and Antigua and Barbuda. Her work has been published in Bloomberg, USA Today, Canary Media, MassLive, and the New Bedford Standard Times, among other outlets. She can be contacted at kdunlop@theworcesterguardian.org
