In 1888, approval was given for Hendersonville's first bond issue to build a reservoir supplying pure water to Main Street. The nearby reservoir was fed by pristine springs in Laurel Park. Its outflow travels under Laurel Park Highway, where Cascade Falls begins, and the water tumbles approximately 400 feet down the granite substrata to Rhododendron Lake. W.A. Smith, founder of Laurel Park, accentuated the Cascades for its natural beauty.