In 1916, Henry Ford purchased this Florida property for $20,000 from Robert Smith, a financier from New York. Built in 1911, the house is an example of American Bungalow architecture, with cedar-shingle siding, wide covered porches supported by sturdy columns, a gabled metal roof, and dormers with decorative beams. Its interior included cypress ceiling beams, yellow pine moldings, built-in benches and window seating, and ample cabinet and shelf storage. A variety of fruit trees grew on the property, including mangoes, papayas, grapefruit, oranges, lemons, and coconut palms. In 1928, Ford added two first-floor bedroom and bath suites as wings to the original building to provide needed space for guests and staff, including his secretary, Frank Campsall, who accompanied him on several trips. The second floor contained bedrooms for Henry and Clara Ford and their son Edsel, along with a den, an indoor bathroom, and a semi-enclosed sleeping porch. Henry and Clara Ford typically stayed there for one to three weeks each year while visiting the Edison family.