By the end of that summer, Stanley's health had improved dramatically. Impressed by the beauty of the valley and grateful for his recovery, he decided to return every summer and acquired property in Estes Park for that purpose. With the help of English architect Henry "Lord Cornwallis" Rogers, with whom he had recently become acquainted, Stanley began the construction of a summer home there, which he called Rockside. Completed in 1904, it had four bedrooms, gracious living areas, and a modern kitchen so that Flora could entertain guests. Stanley, whose primary leisure activities involved billiards, violins, and steam cars, designed a basement with space for a billiard table and a detached garage with a violin workshop and a turntable, so that the steam car could exit without reversing. The front door of the house opened onto a veranda facing south with a view across the Estes Valley toward Long's Peak. Dr. Charles Bonney, who apparently approved of his patient's choices, included images of the house in his 1908 book, Pulmonary Tuberculosis and Its Complications. It remains standing today west of the Stanley Hotel, where it has been restored as a historic home.
