County: Washington

Size: 168 Acres

Date Conserved: 2015

The Historic Johnson Farm is located on the east base of Kessler Mountain near Fayetteville, Arkansas. Steward Anne Prichard sought to ensure that the property, which has been in her family for three generations, would remain intact for generations to come.

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The protection of this landmark property is an important conservation success for our region.  The property is highly ranked in the NWA Open Space Plan due to its cultural, historic, wildlife, scenic and water quality values. The farm was acquired by the Johnson family in 1908. The striking white barn, designed by her father and his brother Arthur in 1933, as well as the surrounding Homestead District is on the National Register of Historic Places. The barn has been featured on local PBS station AETN’s “Back Road Barns” program.  The historic and cultural significance of the property is further advanced by the presence of the grandparents' home, rebuilt in 1925, and the old pear and apple orchards which are reminders of Northwest Arkansas’ once thriving fruit production.

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The property is also important for wildlife.  With a Conservation Easement on the forested tracts, including Round Top Mountain, a prominent landmark in the scenic viewshed of Fayetteville, the property provides important habitat for native plants and animals.

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Water quality preservation is another important benefit of the protection of this property.  Partially located in both the Illinois River and White River Watersheds, a spring-fed pond on the property serves as the headwaters of Cato Springs Branch, a tributary of the West Fork of the White River which feeds into Beaver Lake,  the drinking-water source for more than 450,000 residents in Northwest Arkansas.