In-the-Oaks, located in Black Mountain, North Carolina, was originally built as the grand estate of Franklin Silas Terry and his wife, Lillian Estelle Slocomb Emerson. Historically spelled Intheoaks, the estate was named after the oak leaf in the Slocomb family coat of arms. In-the-Oaks was one of the last of the grand estates built between the coming of the railroad to western North Carolina in 1880 and the Great Depression. This was a period of building large, extravagant residences designed by some of America's most notable architects. Designed by the New York architect Frank E. Wallis, the estate was constructed between 1919 and 1921 and included more than 240,000 square feet. Built on eighty acres, the building cost was later placed at $600,000. A grand rambling two- and three-story mansion, the estate was "an authentic reproduction of a Tudor country manor." In 1923, New York architect Francis George Hasselman completed a large recreation wing, designed by Asheville architect Richard Sharp Smith.

In 1957, the Terry’s daughter, Mrs. Lillian Boscovitch, donated the property to the Episcopal Diocese of Western North Carolina. After receipt of the property, the church established Camp Henry for young people. The camp operated successfully for thirty-nine years, hosting thousands of children for summer camp as well as private conferences for adults. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Andrew Young used the seclusion of In-the-Oaks for a leadership meeting of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference on January 20, 1967. Today, In-the-Oaks is owned by Montreat College and is a second church home to many North Carolina Episcopalians.

Information and photos courtesy of the National Register for Historic Places Asheville, NC Travel Itinerary, a subsidiary of the National Park Service.