Beginning in the late 19^th century, Hendersonville civic leader William A. Smith invested in and began to develop a large “summer playground” on a tract west of town. By the early 20^th century, it featured lakes, pavilions, and drew crowds from far and wide. In 1911 he began selling lots for residential construction, and eventually sold off his investment in 1922. His son-in-law, Stillwell, likewise invested in the enterprise, and provided designs for the Casino, a golf club, and likely many other structures. The collapse of the land boom brought the development to a halt, and none of the early buildings is known to survive. A few years later, new investors began construction of the skyscraper known as the Fleetwood by architects Henry Irvin Gaines and Beacham and LeGrand, which was never completed and was eventually razed.