John Gardner was the grandson of the famous merchant from Salem who had once employed Samuel McIntire, Richard Derby.  Like their grandfather, John and his younger brother Richard were also importers in Salem.  Through his successful import business, John became extremely wealthy.  He imported goods to Salem from Europe and other places such as Calcutta and Rio de Janeiro.  This extensive travel gave Gardner the opportunity to witness the types of architectural movements that were taking place overseas. 

In addition to being well known as an importer in Salem, John Gardner was also very active in the public domain.  As a Federalist, Gardner was a Salem selectman and served on many different committees. 

John Gardner’s mixture of wealth and prominence in his Salem community directly influenced his decision to build a house of the magnitude with which the Gardner-Pingree home is constructed.(1) 
 

1. Gerald W. R. Ward, The Gardner-Pingree House (Salem: Essex Institute, 1976), 7-8.