The 11,000-acre spread of Greenland Ranch is the county's largest undeveloped private land parcel. Spectacularly sited in high rolling hills and meadows south of Larkspur, this cattle ranch was put together by Frank Kirk, who persuaded every cowboy in sight to homestead a claim and sell it to him. In this way he acquired about 12,000 acres for Charles and Augustus Kountze, founders of Denver's Colorado National Bank.
Greenland was a popular overnight stop for stagecoaches traveling between Denver and Colorado Springs. The remains of a hotel, livery, and railroad stock-loading station are visible. The L-plan frame ranch house near the railroad tracks has corbeled brick chimneys, decorative shingle patterns in the gable ends, and bracketed porch posts. Antique outbuildings include the large frame barn and square frame silo with hipped roof. The Higby family, who acquired the ranch in 1909, sold it to an investment group in 1981.