At 100-years-old, Patricia Bartevian still a fixture at her Boylston Street shop

Patricia “Pat” Bartevian leaned onto the counter of her consignment shop on Boylston Street, where she spends most of her days. On Sept. 23, Pat will turn 100-years-old. Started by Pat’s father Gregor, Bartevian Inc. has been on Boylston Street since 1972.Erin Clark/Globe Staff

Patricia Bartevian turns 100 years old on Saturday, but don’t expect her to make a big, fancy fuss about it.

The day will be just like every other. She’ll take a taxi to Bartevian Inc., her consignment shop on Boylston Street where she has worked for decades.

“My father made it 104, so I’m still a kid,” Bartevian said, standing behind the glass counter filled with colorful jewelry.

“This is my living room,” Bartevian said. “[People] come here to visit me. It’s very pleasant.”

Patricia “Pat” Bartevian signed a copy of "Who Were the Hickory Sisters" for Karen Ross, a tourist from England. The self-published book tells the story of Bartevian and her sister, Priscilla, performing in Hollywood after World War II. Erin Clark/Globe Staff

The shop on Saturday will be giving out buttons saying “Happy 100th Pat Bartevian!” and “I had a chat with Pat.”

John LaFleur, the business’s trustee, is asking people to mail her a birthday card to Bartevian’s, 160 Boylston St., Boston, Mass. 02116.

“Places like this just don’t exist anymore,” LaFleur said. “And if she didn’t own the building, her store wouldn’t exist.”

Even through the pandemic, Bartevian opened her shop six days per week, LaFleur said.

“There were days when no one would come in, but she kept that light on, on Boylston Street, when everything else was dark,” he said.

Paul Ville and Karen Ross, tourists from England, looked in the window of Bartevian Inc., a consignment store that has been at 160 Boylston St. since 1972. Owner Patricia "Pat" Bartevian turns 100-years-old on Sept. 23 and still works at the shop. The public is asked to send her birthday cards. Erin Clark/Globe Staff

The business, founded by her Armenian immigrant father in 1910, moved to Boylston Street in 1972 from another location.

The display window is filled with gold-painted picture frames, tea cups, paisley dresses, and straw hats. Name a knickknack and it’s probably nestled in a corner of the shop.

“I feel very fortunate that my father left this for me to take care of,” she said.

She used to run the shop with her sister, Priscilla, who died in 2006. The sisters grew up in a musical family in Newton. They studied at Emerson College, now their Back Bay neighbor.

Performing as “The Hickory Sisters,” they sang and danced for World War II veterans at clubs in Massachusetts. A booking agent suggested they head to Hollywood. So off they went, performing at clubs across Los Angeles.

Patricia “Pat” Bartevian watched out the window of her consignment shop at 160 Boylston St. Photos of herself in her younger years, with sister Priscilla, hung on the wall nearby. The pair performed as the “Hickory Sisters," touring around Hollywood and rubbing shoulders with stars such as Billie Holiday and Ernest Hemingway. On Sept. 23, Pat will turn 100-years-old. Erin Clark/Globe Staff

But family came first and the pair returned to help their father run the business. Their proud heritage has been recorded in two self-published books, “Who Were The Hickory Sisters” and “The Bartevians: A Boston Family.”

Growing up, Bartevian said her birthday was a day to honor her parents, Gregory and Vera. “We gave our parents a present and that was it,” she said.

The shop is a hub for creative communities, providing them an outlet to sell their wares. She rents floors above to nonprofits and artists. “Places like this just don’t exist anymore,” LaFleur said.

Anis Slama (left), a flight attendant visiting Boston from Sweden, purchased a crystal bowl from Patricia “Pat” Bartevian at her Boylston Street shop. Erin Clark/Globe Staff

Nearly 10 years ago, Bartevian helped with efforts to build the Edgar Allen Poe statue on Boylston Street. She sells Poe-themed items celebrating the Boston-born poet. The money is donated to help maintain the statue, LaFleur said.

Bartevian, who was never married, said the key to living long is to avoid red meat, eat plenty of vegetables, and exercise. She also advises people to “love, respect, and help everybody.”

And, of course, do what you love.

“If I didn’t have something to do after all these years, I’d be dead in a year,” she said.

Patricia “Pat” Bartevian posed for a portrait at Bartevian Inc. on Boylston Street, where she spends most of her days. On Sept. 23, Pat will turn 100-years-old. She works at the shop six days per week.Erin Clark/Globe Staff