There is a small villa on Marblehead Neck built in a Mediterranean style. It is called “Twelve Lanterns” and was planned, commissioned and supervised during construction by Isabella Stewart Gardner.
In its own small way, the house is as unique and distinctive as Mrs. Gardner’s palace and museum in Boston, Fenway Court — now known as the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. In both places, Mrs. Gardner used architecture that certainly doesn’t evoke New England.
She incorporated the decorative tiles, balconies and arched doorways that she admired in her beloved Venice.
“Twelve Lanterns” sits high on a rock ledge, looking out toward the open Atlantic Ocean. A covered arch and stone steps lead to the entrance of the house. Inside, it is not terribly large, though the main room features an enormous fireplace and a raised area designed for a grand piano. In this room is the first of the 12 lanterns that give the house its name.
One of the most intriguing features of the house is a square tower accessible only by a hidden trap door. The tower room has 12 large windows with a limitless view in all directions, taking in the ocean, the harbor and the town.
The house was built in 1910 by Mrs. Gardner, who by this point in her life was a widow and had already embarked on a master plan to build her own museum. Isabella Stewart Gardner was a well-known patron of the arts, an avid and knowledgeable collector. She was also a benefactor to many young artists, particularly handsome young men who showed promise. Whether Isabella Stewart Gardner had romantic relationships with these young men will probably never be known. But she did support and encourage them.
For George Proctor, a talented young pianist who became her protégé, Mrs. Gardner built “Twelve Lanterns.” She introduced Proctor to influential musicians, sent him to Europe for study, and fostered his talent. He was a somewhat difficult protégé, and he did not always apply himself to his music.
Neither Mrs. Gardner nor George Proctor ever lived in the house on Marblehead Neck. Mrs. Gardner gave the house to him as a wedding gift, but he and his wife never moved in. The beautifully designed space for his piano never became the music salon that Mrs. Gardner had envisioned, and the property was eventually sold.
The house still exists today — a charming villa with 12 lanterns, exquisite views… and an intriguing history.
Pam Peterson chairs the Marblehead Historical Commission. She is the former Marblehead Museum executive director.
