Kimberly Crest House and Gardens: California’s Châteauesque Mansion

In this installment of ‘Larger Than Life: Architecture Through the Ages,’ we visit a French Renaissance revivalist estate with Italian formal gardens.

A wide expanse of concrete stairs with a concrete railing, topped with two decorative urns, leads to the impressive petite château. A signature yellow-gold paint color, which embellishes the mansion’s corbels, dentil molding, arches, and decorative balcony, contrasts with its neutral stucco exterior. Setting off the estate’s visual presentation is the roof, which features wood shake shingles that have been hand-dipped in a blue-green stain. Mathew Reiter/Kimberly Crest House & Gardens

In a land once abounding in orange groves, the commanding presence of the Kimberly Crest House and Gardens leaves visitors captivated. In comparison to Europe, few palatial 19th-century châteaux exist in the United States, yet Kimberly Crest stands as one of them.

Located on six acres in Redlands, California, the French château-style mansion was constructed in 1897. The surrounding gardens are an exquisite example of the Italian Renaissance style favored by Victorian homeowners.