After that venture failed, Landis became partners with a Philadelphia banker named Richard Byrnes, and began to develop the town of Hammonton.

[2] When they began to disagree over the future of Hammonton, Landis decided to sell his share of their real estate business to Byrnes and moved on to develop the town that would eventually become known as Vineland.

He purchased 20,000 acres (81 km2) of land in 1861, near Millville, New Jersey, and along an existing railroad line with service to Philadelphia.

[3][4] The first houses were built in 1862, and train service was established to Philadelphia and New York City, with the population reaching 5,500 by 1865.

While the Venice aspect of the project was less than successful, his Sea Isle City Improvement Company brought residents to the area, which separated from Dennis Township, and was incorporated as Sea Isle City, New Jersey on May 22, 1882, based on the results of a referendum held six days earlier.

This may have been the first time in American judicial history where a person claimed insanity as a reason for being not guilty [citation needed].