Great Molasses Flood legends (North End)

On January 15, 1919, a 2.3 million gallon molasses storage tank at 529 Commercial Street ruptured, producing a deadly flood that killed 21 people and injured about 150. Local lore includes claims that the sweet smell lingered in the North End for years and that molasses soaked into cobblestones and basements; some accounts also allege that construction crews later found traces or remains when excavating the site, though such reports are variably documented and disputed. These stories have persisted as urban folklore tied to the exact site of the disaster.