Kimberly Crest
Encyclopedia
Kimberly Crest House and Gardens is a French château-style
Victorian
mansion located in Redlands, California
. The property is a registered California Historical Landmark
and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
.
paper company, purchased the home to escape the Wisconsin winters, giving the family name to the property. The family celebrated the holidays at the property with a 90 feet (27.4 m) Magnolia tree adorned with 6000 watts of light. The Kimberly family continued to live in the home until the death in 1979 of Mary Kimberly Shirk, the widowed daughter of John Alfred Kimberly.
Before her death, Mrs. Shirk challenged the city of Redlands to raise the funds to purchase the property around the home and turn it into a 39 acre (0.0609375538793497 sq mi; 0.15782754 km²) botanical park. If the funds were raised, she promised to bequeath the mansion and its 6.25 acre (0.00976563363451117 sq mi; 0.025292875 km²) estate to the city. The city raised the funds, and the surrounding grounds became known as Prospect Park. At her death, Mrs. Shirk left the home to "the people of Redlands" and used the proceeds from the sale of Prospect Park to establish the Kimberly-Shirk Association which continues to care for the home today.
Prior to the conversion to museum, the mansion served as one of the filming locations for the 1981 movie Hell Night
, starring Linda Blair
. In the film, underground tunnels were depicted, but the house and the estate have no such feature. Later, grounds served as the setting of Fleetwood Mac
's Big Love video. Shots depicting the inside of the home were filmed on a sound stage.
mansion was designed in the Châteauesque
style by Oliver Perry Dennis and Lyman Farwell, a Los Angeles
-based partnership. The building contains over 7000 square feet (650.3 m²) of floor space. A near replica, The Magic Castle
, was erected in 1909 in Hollywood
by the same architects.
s. Today the gardens are honorary members of the Inland Koi Society, which now maintains the lily ponds.
Châteauesque
Châteauesque is one of several terms, including Francis I style, and, in Canada, the Château Style, that refer to a revival architectural style based on the French Renaissance architecture of the monumental French country homes built in the Loire Valley from the late fifteenth century to the...
Victorian
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
mansion located in Redlands, California
Redlands, California
Redlands is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 68,747, up from 63,591 at the 2000 census. The city is located east of downtown San Bernardino.- History :...
. The property is a registered California Historical Landmark
California Historical Landmark
California Historical Landmarks are buildings, structures, sites, or places in the state of California that have been determined to have statewide historical significance by meeting at least one of the criteria listed below:...
and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
History
The house and gardens were built in 1897 for Mrs. Cornelia A. Hill, one of the pioneers of Redlands. In 1905, John Alfred Kimberly, a co-founder of Kimberly-ClarkKimberly-Clark
Kimberly-Clark Corporation is an American corporation that produces mostly paper-based consumer products. Kimberly-Clark brand name products include "Kleenex" facial tissue, "Kotex" feminine hygiene products, "Cottonelle", Scott and Andrex toilet paper, Wypall utility wipes, "KimWipes"...
paper company, purchased the home to escape the Wisconsin winters, giving the family name to the property. The family celebrated the holidays at the property with a 90 feet (27.4 m) Magnolia tree adorned with 6000 watts of light. The Kimberly family continued to live in the home until the death in 1979 of Mary Kimberly Shirk, the widowed daughter of John Alfred Kimberly.
Before her death, Mrs. Shirk challenged the city of Redlands to raise the funds to purchase the property around the home and turn it into a 39 acre (0.0609375538793497 sq mi; 0.15782754 km²) botanical park. If the funds were raised, she promised to bequeath the mansion and its 6.25 acre (0.00976563363451117 sq mi; 0.025292875 km²) estate to the city. The city raised the funds, and the surrounding grounds became known as Prospect Park. At her death, Mrs. Shirk left the home to "the people of Redlands" and used the proceeds from the sale of Prospect Park to establish the Kimberly-Shirk Association which continues to care for the home today.
Prior to the conversion to museum, the mansion served as one of the filming locations for the 1981 movie Hell Night
Hell Night
Hell Night is a 1981 American independent horror film . Tom DeSimone directed the film, which was written by Randy Feldman and stars Linda Blair. The film depicts a night of fraternity hazing set in an old manor, during which a deformed maniac terrorizes and murders many of the college students...
, starring Linda Blair
Linda Blair
Linda Denise Blair is an American actress. Blair is best known for her role as the possessed child, Regan, in the 1973 film The Exorcist, for which she was nominated for an Academy Award and two Golden Globes, winning one. She reprised her role in 1977's Exorcist II: The Heretic.-Biography:Blair...
. In the film, underground tunnels were depicted, but the house and the estate have no such feature. Later, grounds served as the setting of Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac are a British–American rock band formed in 1967 in London.The only original member present in the band is its eponymous drummer, Mick Fleetwood...
's Big Love video. Shots depicting the inside of the home were filmed on a sound stage.
Architecture
This three story VictorianVictorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
mansion was designed in the Châteauesque
Châteauesque
Châteauesque is one of several terms, including Francis I style, and, in Canada, the Château Style, that refer to a revival architectural style based on the French Renaissance architecture of the monumental French country homes built in the Loire Valley from the late fifteenth century to the...
style by Oliver Perry Dennis and Lyman Farwell, a Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
-based partnership. The building contains over 7000 square feet (650.3 m²) of floor space. A near replica, The Magic Castle
The Magic Castle
The Magic Castle, located at 7001 Franklin Avenue in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles, California, is a nightclub for magicians and magic enthusiasts, as well as the clubhouse for the Academy of Magical Arts. It bills itself as "the most unusual private club in the world."-Nightclub:The Magic...
, was erected in 1909 in Hollywood
Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
Hollywood is a famous district in Los Angeles, California, United States situated west-northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Due to its fame and cultural identity as the historical center of movie studios and movie stars, the word Hollywood is often used as a metonym of American cinema...
by the same architects.
Gardens
The gardens that surround Kimberly Crest are exquisite examples of the Italian style favored by Victorian homeowners at the turn of the 20th century. Mr. Kimberly had the gardens created in 1909, complete with statuary and koi pondKoi pond
Koi ponds are ponds used for holding koi, usually as part of a landscape. Koi ponds can be designed specifically to promote health and growth of the Nishkigoi or Japanese Ornamental Carp....
s. Today the gardens are honorary members of the Inland Koi Society, which now maintains the lily ponds.
The mansion today
The Kimberly-Shirk Association has maintained the property since 1981 and continues the legacy of Mrs. Shirk's involvement in civic events. Kimberly Crest is open to the public for tours and can also be booked for weddings and private events.External links
- Kimberly Crest House and Gardens – Official website