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HOUSE - 1st & 2nd Floor 5 bedrooms, 2 BATHROOMS 4,000 sq ft NO use of 3rd floor

Photo gallery for HOUSE - 1st & 2nd Floor 5 bedrooms, 2 BATHROOMS 4,000 sq ft NO use of 3rd floor

Olivia's during the Fall
Interior
Exterior
Exterior
Exterior

Reviews

10 out of 10
Exceptional
5 bedrooms2 bathroomsSleeps 8

Popular amenities

  • Kitchen
  • Washing machine
  • Dryer
  • Air-conditioning
  • Breakfast available
  • Parking available

Explore the area

View map
Baldwin City, KS
  • Place, Baldwin City Hall
    ‪2 min walk‬
  • Place, Baker University
    ‪3 min walk‬
  • Place, Baldwin City Library
    ‪3 min walk‬
  • Airport, Topeka, KS (FOE-Forbes Field)
    ‪43 min drive‬

Rooms & beds

5 bedrooms (sleeps 8)

African Safari Room

1 Queen Bed

Gone With the Wind Room

1 King Bed

Master Bedroom the Blue Room

1 King Bed

The Owl Room

1 Queen Bed

The Swan Room

1 Double Bed

2 bathrooms

2nd floor bathroom Blue room

Bathtub or shower · Bathtub · Toilet · Shower only

Tree and Owl Bathroom 1st floor

Bathtub or shower · Bathtub · Toilet · Shower only

Spaces

Porch or lanai
Kitchen
Separate dining area
Dining area

About this property

HOUSE - 1st & 2nd Floor 5 bedrooms, 2 BATHROOMS 4,000 sq ft NO use of 3rd floor

Glorious historical home in the center of Baldwin City, Kansas home of Baker University. The house was built in 1902 as the first fraternity Delta Tau Delta. In 1912 the house became the first chapter house for the Zeta Tau Alpa sorority of BU. It has been the family home of Dr. Ray and Olivia Jones since 1963 and continues to be owned by their only daughter, Carolyn "Ruthie" Goldey.
The house has a large kitchen, dinette, bathroom, first-floor bedroom and bath, dining room with attached library, large living room area with a grand piano, screened-in porch, and grand foyer. The second floor has a full library study, four large bedrooms, bath. The third floor is for private family use. TWO BATHROOMS...one on first floor and one on second floor!
The yard is full of old Pinoaks and White Oak, Red Maple, Silver Maple and a Missississippi Magnolia planted by Oliva from her beloved home state. An arbor in the back of the house graces a 70 year old Concord Grape plant.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE OWNERS LIVE IN THE HOUSE WHEN NOT RENTED. THUS THE REASON FOR QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR REASON FOR RENTING.
THE HOUSE IS DESIGNED TO BE RENTED TO SOMEONE WHO UNDERSTANDS THAT WE ARE SHARING THIS TREASURE as a source to be able to help us fund the home. WE desire that the house be treasured and enjoyed as it enriches your life. We will gladly move out for the time of your stay if we feel like you would be BLESSED by your stay. PLEASE COMMUNICATE WITH ME AND I WILL WORK WITH YOU TO HELP MAKE IT A TRUE EXPERIENCE TO BE REMEMBERED FOR LIFE.

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House Rules

Check in after 3:00 PM

Check out before 12:30 PM

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Children

Adults only

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Events

No events allowed

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Pets

No pets allowed

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Smoking

Smoking is not permitted

Ask me personally about the use of the home for wedding showers, family holiday meals or special event gatherings such as birthday parties

Bible retreat groups may ask for special use of the Library

Important information

You need to know

Property # 1907448vb
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
On-site parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Host has indicated that there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property
Host has indicated that there is a smoke detector on the property
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher, a first aid kit and a deadlock

About the area

Baldwin City

Baldwin City is home to this holiday home. Rice Auditorium and Old Depot Museum are cultural highlights, and travellers looking to shop may want to visit Pine Ridge Plaza and Broadway Plaza. Spend some time exploring the area's activities, including birdwatching, ecotours and wildlife walks.
View more Holiday homes in Baldwin CityOpens in a new window
Map
Baldwin City, KS

What's nearby

  • Baldwin City Hall - 2 min walk - 0.2 km
  • Baker University - 3 min walk - 0.3 km
  • Baldwin City Library - 3 min walk - 0.3 km
  • Collins Library - 6 min walk - 0.6 km
  • Grove Park - 8 min walk - 0.7 km

Getting around

  • Lawrence Station - 25 min drive
  • Topeka, KS (FOE-Forbes Field) - 47 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Sonic Drive-In - ‬16 min walk
  • ‪El Patron Mexican Food - ‬4 min walk
  • ‪Subway - ‬12 min walk
  • ‪The Salt Mine - ‬18 min walk
  • ‪Burger King - ‬17 min walk

Frequently asked questions

Is HOUSE - 1st & 2nd Floor 5 bedrooms, 2 BATHROOMS 4,000 sq ft NO use of 3rd floor pet-friendly?

No, pets are not allowed at this property.

How much is parking at HOUSE - 1st & 2nd Floor 5 bedrooms, 2 BATHROOMS 4,000 sq ft NO use of 3rd floor ?

On-site parking is available at the property.

What time is check-in at HOUSE - 1st & 2nd Floor 5 bedrooms, 2 BATHROOMS 4,000 sq ft NO use of 3rd floor ?

Check-in begins at 3:00 PM.

What time is check-out at HOUSE - 1st & 2nd Floor 5 bedrooms, 2 BATHROOMS 4,000 sq ft NO use of 3rd floor ?

Checkout is at 12:30 PM.

Where is HOUSE - 1st & 2nd Floor 5 bedrooms, 2 BATHROOMS 4,000 sq ft NO use of 3rd floor located?

Situated in Baldwin City, this holiday home is within a 5-minute walk of Baldwin City Hall, Sullivan Square and Baldwin City Library. Baker University and Collins Library are also within 10 minutes.

Reviews

10

Exceptional

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
Learn moreOpens in a new window
Rating 10 - Excellent. 20 out of 22 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 2 out of 22 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 0 out of 22 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 22 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 22 reviews

10/10

Cleanliness

10/10

Check-in

10/10

Communication

10/10

Location

10/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

Verified

10/10 Excellent

susan v.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Great place to stay!
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2025
Verified

8/10 Good

DEBORAH R.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Enjoyed our stay
Stayed 4 nights in Sep 2025
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Kathy F.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Lovely old family home with lots of room and fully stocked kitchen. Warm and comfortable. Thank you for easy check in and check out.
Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2025
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Jill N.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Beautiful older family home. Beds were very comfortable, everyone in our large family slept well. Host was easy to communicate with.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2025
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Kathryn K.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Family visit

Perfect place for our family to stay Lots of room. Close to our family event. Nice spaces to visit with family. Everything we needed
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2025
Verified

10/10 Excellent

James B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Family Reunion

Met our needs well. The host was extremely responsive to all our needs. Highly recommend this beautiful property.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2025
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Sharon G.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
This house is incrediable. Full of history and very quiet.
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2025
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Mary J.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Wonderful

The property was amazing! It was very inviting and felt like home! We enjoyed spending time in the house.
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2022
Response from VrboOwner on 25 Dec 2022
Hosting Mary and her friends was a successful and enjoyable opportunity. They took wonderful care of my home! We look forward to having them return again. Thank you Mary!
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Katie B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Graduation weekend

The perfect house for my elderly parents, our adult kids and their spouses! The master bedroom on the first floor was perfect for my folks. We traveled from Colorado for our daughter’s graduation from Baker and my husband’s Masters degree from Baker. It was wonderful to have for a place where everyone could be together!!
Stayed 3 nights in May 2025
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Kelli K.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Beautiful home- perfect stay

We stayed overnight at Olivia’s place for my niece’s wedding in nearby De Soto. The house was very well-maintained, so charming, and it felt like visiting a family friend’s home as soon as we arrived. The rooms were spacious and comfortable. Just a beautiful home with great amenities.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2023
Response from VrboOwner on 8 Aug 2023
Kelli and family were perfect guests! She was delightful in every way. We highly recommend her. Great communicator! Thank you Kelli
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Richard R.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Lovely Historic Home

We truly enjoyed our short stay in this lovely Historic Home. I felt like i was going to my grandmother's home. The owner went out of her way to make us feel welcome. I look forward to returning there one day soon. Highly recommend this beautiful home.
Stayed 4 nights in Apr 2020
Response from VrboOwner on 24 Apr 2020
Wonderful guests!
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Deanna H.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Olivia stay

Was fun time there! And come to find out your son s my daughter’s Vet!
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2024
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Neil C.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

We used the home as a base for a hunting trip

Very nice clean home. TV needs updating
Stayed 4 nights in Dec 2024
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Rhonda B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Historical bounty

This property was exactly as listed. It is an older home with a lot of room to rest, relax, and hang out. We stayed over a long weekend for a graduation at Ottawa University. The drive to Ottawa was short and easy as the owner told me it would be. So much history in this house - it was fun to explore the library in particular. If we ever need to travel to the area, we will certainly book again.
Stayed 4 nights in May 2025
Response from VrboOwner on 7 May 2025
It was a joy for me to share my home with these lovely guests
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Miriam S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

We are coming back!

This grand old house has much history. It is well furnished, comfortable, and in a charming neighborhood. The kitchen was well stocked and there were plenty of closets. We loved the screened-in porch for breakfast. We got to meet Ruthie and loved her.
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2022
Response from VrboOwner on 21 June 2022
Miriam and her family were delightful guests. Looking forward to hosting them again in the future.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Marilyn N.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Family Wedding

We had a family wedding in Wellsville and wanted a close place to stay for my sisters and spouses. This was perfect. We had a chance to visit before and after the wedding. The house is absolutely beautiful. We all agreed that the beds were really comfortable. Would definitely rent this house again.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2024
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Samantha C.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Beautiful Victorian Home

We had family come in for the weekend and had heard wonderful things about this property. It did not disappoint. This house is absolutely gorgeous. The woodwork is beautiful and the house is in great condition. Lots of towels and clean bedding. Any item you might need for a meal. Owner was super to work with and is great about responding. I would highly recommend to anyone coming to Baldwin City.
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2022
Response from VrboOwner on 30 June 2022
Samantha and her family were AMAZING! You could hardly tell that anyone had been in the house. It was left in pristine condition and included a handwritten Thank You note. Having guests like them remind us that there are truly wonderful people in our world!
Verified

8/10 Good

Kylie T.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location

Perfect location!

This unique property has tons of space and surprises around every corner. The location was perfect for our needs to walk everywhere we needed to go for our college reunion. We especially loved the screened in porch. The lighting was hard to figure out. Some light switches did not work well and we couldn’t always figure out how to turn on lights. But of course it is an old house and this wasn’t a huge deal. The garbage disposal didn’t work well. Otherwise it was great. The beds were extremely comfortable. We enjoyed our stay and it added an extra fun layer to our long awaited reunion.
Stayed 2 nights in May 2023
Response from VrboOwner on 22 May 2023
We loved hosting Kylie and her friends. She was delightful in her communication. They took great care of the home. It would be our pleasure to host her again.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

darrell d.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Historic home

We really enjoyed the unique, original decor in this majestic and historic home. Trouble free, comfortable stay in a quiet and pleasant community.
Response from VrboOwner on 6 Aug 2021
Wonderful guests! They took perfect care of my home! Lovely communicators!
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Samantha L.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Baker Graduation

our daughter graduated from Baker, and this was a perfect place to stay to celebrate
Stayed 5 nights in May 2021
Response from VrboOwner on 17 June 2021
Samantha was a perfect guest. We appreciated her communication skills and she took great care of the house.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Chase C.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

We love the place and Mrs Ruthie is the sweetest

Reminded me of my grandmother and bigger than expected
Stayed 7 nights in Jan 2021
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Gary Y.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2025
Response from VrboOwner on 29 Dec 2025
Gary and family were perfect guests. We would glady host them again.

About the host

Hosted by Ruthie Goldey

Host profile image

I grew up in this home with my parents Dr. Ray and Olivia Jones and my five younger brothers. When my parents passed away they gave me the home to share with my extended family of children and grandchildren.
We live in the home off and on throughout the year. My primary address is in Florida. My husband is a retired Colonel in the Air Force who spent 31 years serving our great country.

Why they chose this property

I inherited this house from my parents to cherish and share with the family and community much like they did as they served Baldwin City and Baker University as a physician, nurse, and minister. I have chosen to open the house to the public to share the historical value of the home and share the Word of God with all who choose to stay with us. Because the house has lots to offer to travelers as well as family members.

What makes this property unique

It is a beautifully restored example of a historical past. Dr. Ray has an extensive collection of Bibles, Greek Bibles, and Hebrew Bibles as well as many commentaries. He also has old medical books and journals. My mother has a large collection of Missionary books and old hymn books.
The home is offered to enrich the life of anyone who comes through the doors. We pray that each person who stays will be blessed by their time in the home.

Languages:

English

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