A Family's 88-Acre Legacy Near Clinton Lake
$877,340 Ripe for Reimagining
Lawrence sits in Douglas County, in the rolling prairie of northeast Kansas — 88 acres of grassland, hardwood timber, and legacy farmstead land just two miles south of Clinton Lake.
This is legacy land, held and loved by one family for generations — and the land is the star. Roughly 72 acres of grassland (about 36 hayed each year), 13 acres of mature hardwood timber — bur and white oak, cottonwood, ash, and more — and, at the heart of it, a spring-fed, roughly 3-acre lake stocked with bass, catfish, and bluegill. It's genuine sportsman's ground, with whitetail, turkey, and waterfowl, and a deer stand built right into the machine shed. A strong set of outbuildings — a workshop garage, a big 32-by-80 machine shed, a lean-to, and a garden shed — is ready to work, and the mineral rights convey. The original 1907 two-and-a-half-story farmhouse is full of character — wide hardwood floors, handcrafted trim, period details — but it's ready for updating: think of it as a Ripe for Reimagining home to make your own, or a guesthouse once you build on one of the open sites. 4 bd / 2 ba, ~2,000 sq ft, built 1907, on 88 acres.
Listed at $877,340. Listing courtesy of Brenda Doudican, Midwest Land Group.
Homestead Potential
Water & Infrastructure
Water is one of this property's defining strengths. A spring-fed, roughly three-acre lake sits at the heart of the land — dependable, self-replenishing water stocked with bass, channel catfish, and bluegill, and a magnet for the ducks and geese that travel the Clinton Lake corridor two miles north. For the household, the home is served by Douglas County Rural Water District No. 5, so you get reliable treated water without depending on a well. Between the spring-fed lake for the land and rural water for the house, this is genuinely water-secure ground — a rare combination in Kansas.
Crop & Income Potential
This is real working farmland with generations of stewardship behind it. Roughly 72 acres of productive grassland — about half of it hayed every year — mean immediate agricultural use and income, whether you keep cutting hay or turn it to grazing for cattle. The 13 acres of mixed hardwood timber add habitat, firewood, and beauty, and the open acres hold several scenic sites for a future home, barn, or family compound. It's flexible, fertile ground: hay it, graze it, farm a corner, or simply hold it as the legacy tract it's been. The productivity here is proven, not theoretical.
Sustainability
Everything about this land is built to endure — the acreage and the outbuildings already do the work of a self-reliant place. The spring-fed lake and rural water cover you year-round; the collection of outbuildings, from the workshop garage to the 32-by-80 machine shed, gives you real infrastructure for equipment, hobbies, and land management from day one; and the hayground and timber mean food, income, and heat off your own land. The intact mineral rights are a quiet long-term asset most properties can't offer. The 1907 home is the one piece that asks for investment — it's a solid, century-old shell ready for updating — so picture the land and structures as turnkey and the house as the project you get to shape. Add a garden, run some cattle, or build fresh on one of the open sites; the bones of a multi-generational place are all here.
The Boundaries
A property this layered rewards a careful, informed look, and it's worth it. Bring in an inspector who knows historic homes for the 1907 residence — you'll want the foundation, systems, and roof honestly assessed behind all that lovely original character. Get a current survey to confirm the 88 acres, the grassland-to-timber split, and the lake's boundaries, and get the intact mineral rights documented in writing, since that's real value worth pinning down. If you're dreaming of a second homesite, check Douglas County's building rules and any agricultural or open-space tax classifications on the hayground. None of it dims the appeal — it's the homework that protects a legacy purchase like this one.
Beyond the Property Line
Local Flavor & Small-Town Character
Lawrence is one of the most beloved towns in Kansas — a vibrant, walkable college city, home to the University of Kansas, with a famous Massachusetts Street downtown full of music, restaurants, and independent shops, and a deep history as a free-state town. Yet fifteen miles out, on this land, you're in quiet prairie and timber country. Topeka is about 26 miles west and Kansas City roughly 55 east, so a capital city and a major metro are both within easy reach. It's a rare mix of cultured small-city life and genuine rural seclusion.
Agricultural Resources & Neighbor Networks
Kansas State University Research and Extension keeps a Douglas County office in Lawrence, and K-State is one of the country's premier agricultural universities — its programs on grassland and hay management, cattle, soils, and Master Gardener training are exactly what an 88-acre farmstead wants close by. Douglas County has a strong local-farm and farmers'-market culture, and the region's grain, cattle, and hay economy means feed stores, large-animal vets, and equipment dealers are all within reach. For haying, grazing, or a big garden, the support here is first-rate.
Outdoor Recreation & Natural Surroundings
Recreation begins on the land itself — your own spring-fed lake for fishing, 88 acres of grassland and timber for hunting whitetail, turkey, and waterfowl, and that clever machine-shed deer stand. Two miles north, Clinton Lake and its state park add thousands of acres of water for boating, sailing, camping, and trails. Lawrence brings KU athletics, concerts, and paddling on the Kansas River, and the surrounding prairie is prime for cycling and birding. Between the private lake, the big reservoir, and the town's energy, there's no shortage of things to do in any season.
Listed on Zillow
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