Only a church with a large, white steeple is missing from the community of Dover to complete the setting of a small New England town.

Nestled in the rolling hills of southwest Shawnee County, the communities of Dover, Auburn and Wakarusa offer visitors a unique feel distant from the Kansas plains.

Although Dover is lacking the church with a steeple, Wakarusa picks up where Dover left off.

Wakarusa, which gives off a charming New England atmosphere, has a church with a steeple and a deserted grade school perched on a hill overlooking the town. Nearby Auburn was established in the 1850s, complete with its old stone structures.

While the three communities have rural settings, neighborhoods hugging the southwest fringe of Topeka offer a more urban mood. Although much of the area isn't within the Topeka city limits, the area feels much like the city.

Much of the southwest Shawnee County region, including homes in the Lake Sherwood area, are in the Washburn Rural School District.

The southwest Shawnee County area is one of the fastest growing regions of the metropolitan area. The region is located near the city's primary shopping districts and consists mainly of newer homes near the city of Topeka.

Interstate 470 runs adjacent to the southwest county area, which is also served by K-4 highway.