Known for her flamboyant manner and free-spirited ways, Isabella Stewart Gardner (1840 - 1924) became known as the first American "Patroness of the Arts." The ambiance of her Back Bay salon at 150-152 Beacon Street inspired the creation of "Fenway Court," an architecturally lavish backdrop for her significant collection of Italian Renaissance art. Fenway Court known today as the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, was willed to the people of the City of Boston for the "education and enjoyment of the public forever," and stands as a monument to her aesthetic sensibilities.

An active member of The Church of the Advent in Boston's Back Bay, she was a frequent guest at Henry Sleeper's (now S.P.N.E.A.) Beauport on Gloucester's Eastern Point Boulevard.