Cortner Chapel Building – 2026

The Cortner Chapel was built in 1936 as state-of-the-art for a mortuary and chapel business. It is the second building on the site. The first was a 2-story residence mostly owned by the Ladd family. Amy Ladd first owned the home, followed by Mary and then Margaret Ladd, interspersed with ownership by Annie Martin, followed by Hazen Arthur Martin. They had a carriage house on the southeast corner. The house and carriage house were there from 1891 through 1936.

Arthur Cortner had long been a leader in the mortuary industry. He was involved in the development of the first auto hearse, a Hudson 6-cylinder. When he built the Brookside building, the mortuary business was in transition. Prior to this, embalming was often done at the home of the deceased, and memorial services were held in the home or in a church. The new Cortner building provided for embalming and memorial services in the same location. On the first floor there is a large, comfortable entry foyer, with a large chapel for memorial services. After the service the casket can be quickly brought to the rear exit doors with a covered patio, and a procession can begin to the burial site. The first floor also has most of the administrative offices. The second floor is where the embalming room is located, as well as the model casket viewing room, and casket storage. In earlier days, the coroner would perform autopsies in the embalming room of mortuaries. The basement is primarily used for storage, but originally was where two vaults were used to store bodies awaiting embalment.

Approaching the two front doors from Brookside Avenue by brick steps, the building is set upon a hill from the road offering a degree of privacy. The square shaped building has a stucco finish with wood trim in an architectural style typical of early twentieth century California roadside architecture which was embraced by cities and chambers of commerce with Redlands being no exception. Cortner chose to build in the Monterey Style of architecture which was sympathetic to this effort by the city. To the west across Grant Street was the 1927 headquarters for Mutual Orange Distributors and to the immediate east was the U.S. Post Office built in 1934, both of these buildings taking reference of Spanish Revival style. Cortner’s choice of Monterey style was not only an early California style that would blend in with its neighborhood, but would also be unique in its facade as to gain notice. Monterey style is characterized by two-stories with a full cantilevered covered balcony projecting over the main entrance, with accents such as decorative shutters. Lookout beams support the cantilever balcony in the Monterey style with decorative brackets underneath the beams in a style showing period influence of Art Deco. The Monterey style dates to the early 1800s from the area of Monterey, California, but saw a revival in the period between 1925 and 1955.

The mortuary building is a two-story wood frame structure with a basement. The building sits on concrete footings. The windows are multi-paned. The roof is composition shingles. The building sits over the site of the original Ladd home. A garage was built at the same time. The garage originally had only one enclosed area for vehicles, but it was eventually fully enclosed. For many years, Cortner also had an ambulance service. The same vehicle was used as an ambulance and a hearse. They would just change the signage on the side. An office in the main building housed a bed for a night emergency ambulance driver. The hardware is all original. An elevator was added in the 1950s to access all three levels.

Arthur Cortner went into the mortuary business in 1905 with his brother George as partners with F. A. Wales, Funeral Director. In 1910, G. Arthur and George went into business as Cortner Brothers. George left in 1914 to become the business manager for the University of Redlands. In the 1930s, F. Arthur’s son, Arthur Abram and daughter Anna Belle, came to work at the mortuary. When F. Arthur died in 1969, Arthur A. and Anna Belle took over the business as partners. Anna Belle died in 1977, leaving Art as the sole owner. Art sold the business and building to Jim Larkin and Terry Harmon in 2004. Larkin and Harmon sold the business and building to Tim and Kim Hansen in 2012. The Hansens keep the building and grounds up to the standards long set by the Cortner family.

Arthur Cortner was born in Tennessee in 1881 and was 12 when his mother and older sister died. F. Arthur and his brother George came to Redlands in 1902, hoping to help their brother Claude survive Tuberculosis. Unfortunately, Claude died, and while making arrangements for Claude’s funeral, F. Arthur was eventually hired by F. A. Wales.Arthur married Catherine Fox of Redlands in 1911, and they had 3 children, Arthur Abram, Anna Belle, and another son, Gayle Graham. While conducting a highly respected and successful business, F. Arthur was very involved in the community. He was a founding member and past-president of Rotary, served as chairman of the Board of Trustees of the First Baptist Church, as well as being a long-time usher with his son Arthur A. He was also a member of the Elks, Masons, and Commercial club, a director of the Chamber of Commerce, and head of the finance committee for the Community Music Association during its formative years.

Arthur Abram “Art” Cortner was born in 1912, and died just short of his 100th birthday in 2012. He served in the Navy during WWII, seeing action on Guadalcanal, Guam, and Bougainville. Art married Vera Eaton in 1972 when she was 55 and he was 60. Vera died in 2002. Like his father and uncle, Art was very involved in the Redlands Community. He was a member of Kiwanis and the Masons for over 70 years. He was also involved with the Elks, American Legion, Redlands Community Scholarship Foundation, and the First Baptist Church. In Kiwanis, Art was known as “a great man with a great sense of humor”. Kiwanis honored him with its Hall of Fame and Legion of Honor awards, and also placed a Newburgh Clock in front of the Brookside Building. Longtime Cortner Funeral Director Bob Noble talked about “how deep Art’s love for people and the community of Redlands was”.

The Redlands Area Historical Society is honored to present a 2026 Heritage award to Tim and Kim Hansen, for the Cortner Chapel building.

Research by Bruce Wick

Presented on June 9, 2026.