The History of Burden Center and Windrush Gardens
The Burdens And Their Wonderful Gift
"The history behind the land at Burden Center is perhaps as exaggerated and extravagant as any tale in South Louisiana," according to John Monroe, relative to the Burdens, and Docent of the Burden Center. " It is filled with mystery, and with legend. As early as we can tell. the property was owned by William S.Pike, Sr., an early settler in Baton Rouge, who owned a considerable amount of property in East Baton Rouge Parish for the time. We know William's neice, Emma, married John Charles Burden on December 7, 1856, and It is believed that John Charles Burden and his wife Emma built the old Burden House. Family lore is that the plantation was named Windrush after a beautiful and scenic river that runs through the Cotswolds, an area in John Charles' native country of England." Mr. Monroe, nephew of Pike Burden, and his wife, Francis Monroe, have lived in The Monroe House next to Windrush for over 30 years.
In the early 1900’s the Burden family, William Pike Burden, Ollie Steele Burden, Ione, Pike and Steele, lived on and loved this beautiful expanse of land. Steele, nor Ione C.Burden ever married, though each lived a long life. Their brother Pike, however, did marry a lovely girl named Jeanette Monroe. All three of the Burden siblings lived on the property until their deaths. Each were extremely concerned for the preservation of their beautiful land, and wanted to ensure its continuance, even after they left it. In the 1960’s the Burden family created the Burden Foundation to assist in the management, development and preservation of the land and its invaluable resources.
It was not until after the death of Pike, that the Burden Foundation was able to devise a solid plan to maintain this pristine track of land. They donated the property to LSU in 1973. Thanks to strict guidelines for land use, the land at Burden Center will never see the effects of urban development.
Maintaining the atmosphere of serenity and tranquility was as important to the Burdens decades ago as it is to the stewards of the land and the descendants of the Burden family today. LSU and the Burden Foundation are expressly dedicated to the preservation and conservation of nature- her exquisite beauty and tranquility.