Kimberly Crest House and Gardens

Mrs. Cornelia Hill, originally from New York, built her Redlands home in 1897, designed by the architectural firm Dennis & Farwell in a style inspired by a French chateau that she admired on a trip to Europe . She spent $13,000 to acquire the 3 ½ acre property and build the 7,000-square-foot home. Among the attractive original landscape features was the fountain "Venus Rising from the Sea."

John Alfred Kimberly, a co-founder of the Kimberly-Clark Corporation, and his wife Helen Cheney Kimberly escaped harsh Wisconsin winters in Redlands, leasing a home on Cedar Avenue where their daughter, Mary, married Elbert W. Shirk in 1905. The same year, the Kimberlys purchased the Hill estate and additional land, bringing that estate to 6 ¼ acres, and named it Kimberly Crest.The Kimberlys commissioned their son-in-law, Edwin Bergstrom, to design extensive Italianate gardens, which were completed in 1909. The Kimberlys eventually retired to Redlands,

Elbert Shirk's health was compromised during his US Navy service in Europe during World War I, and he died of meningitis in September, 1919. The widowed Mary moved to Redlands soon thereafter to be with her aging parents.

Helen Kimberly was an active member of the Contemporary Club of Redlands, a women's organization founded in 1894. In 1916, she founded the Junior Women of the Contemporary Club, which became Kimberly Juniors. She served as patroness until her death in 1932, after which her daughter, Mary Shirk, became patroness. The organization was conceived as a way to include the daughters of the Contemporary Club. At first, the club was open to girls ages 12-21 but over time this changed to girls of high school age. The purpose of the club also evolved and expanded. Kimberly Juniors started out as a club that emphasized teaching etiquette, table manners, and other skills for young socialites of 1916; while the “KJs” still learn these skills they have also added courses on things such as self defense and resume building. Each year members of the Kimberly Juniors participate in a number of community events as well as visiting Kimberly Crest for club events and community events.

In 1963, Redlanders mounted a community effort to save nearby Prospect Park from urban development. Mrs. Shirk promised to donate Kimberly Crest to “the people of Redlands” if the funds were raised to save the park. This effort succeeded in 1968, and the next year the Kimberly-Shirk Association was formed to maintain and care for Kimberly Crest House & Gardens. Kimberly-Shirk Association took possession of the estate upon Mrs. Shirk's death in 1979, and opened it for tours in 1981.

Kimberly Crest includes many lawns, fountains, trees, gardens, in addition to the historic home. Tours are available in which visitors can see the first two floors of the home, including a parlor, bedrooms, library, washrooms, a flower porch, kitchen, dining room, and grand main hall. The carriage house is a gift shop for visitors touring Kimberly Crest.

History, Kimberly Crest Homes and Gardens. Accessed August 13th 2020. http://kimberlycrest.org/aboutus/.

History, Kimberly Juniors. Accessed August 13th 2020. https://kimberlyjuniors.org/about/history/.

Moore, Frank E. Redlands: Our Town. Redlands, CA. Moore Historical Foundation, 1987.

Staff Report. "It's the 104th Year for Redlands' Kimberly Juniors." Redlands Daily Facts (Redlands, CA) November 26th 2019.

Strong, Kathy. "Follow the (Crimson) Brick Road to Redlands." Desert Sun November 14th 2015.

Who We Are, Kimberly Crest Homes and Gardens. Accessed August 13th 2020. http://kimberlycrest.org/who-we-are/.