The History of Burden Center and Windrush Gardens
Steel Burden: A Glimpse Of A Man Inspired By Nature
Steele Burden (1900-1995) was truly a legend in his own time. A master landscaper and arborist, Steele designed and facilitated much of Baton Rouge's green spaces and his mark upon this city can still be seen today. From the LSU campus to countless homes across the city, Steeles work spread much further than the land that is called Burden Center today; but just walking through his home Windrush Gardens will convince you this man had a deep connection with all that is green. He genuinely cared about the way we view this beautiful city in which we live.
Steele Burden used landscape to define open, outdoor spaces in the historic garden style. Borders of Mondo Grass and Liriope would define the edges of the open spaces that create the outdoor rooms for which he came to be so well known. He was of the school of thought that if the borders were maintained then weeds and overgrowth would be less visible behind their structure and the space would still be defined- and beautiful. Steele, along with his friend and assistant, Malcom Tucker, worked laboriously often drawing on the ground with chalk to create the landscape designs. And for many years he worked with very limited resources and assistance to design and develop the extensive gardens and trails that we enjoy today.
His very specific placement of trees and shrubbery was intended to lead the eyes to featured plants, sculpture and statuary. He used ornamental trees and shrubs to accentuate each space and stimulate the visual and oftentimes, the olfactory senses. Steele Burden’s choices of foliage weren’t always for beauty, but often for their heartiness and longevity. Somehow though, it always was beautiful.
Steele had the idea to circumnavigate the entire 400+ acre parcel with a trail system. He designed the trail system and began implementing them prior to his death in 1995. It is these trails that are being re-developed or newly forged to create a permanent learning experience through outdoor classrooms and adventure.
Steele Burden dedicated his life to the green space of Baton Rouge in one fashion or another. He spent many years planting thousands of trees on the Burden property as well as throughout the city of Baton Rouge. Mr. Burden has many visions for his family's land and for Baton Rouge- many of which he knew he would not live to see. So as we drive around the city of Baton Rouge, we should thank him for the foresight and desire to plant so many trees for the future – for us. Steele was an artist; the outdoors was his canvas- and plants his paint.
Thanks to John and Francis Monroe for their support of The Trees & Trails Project, and for Mr. Monroe's consulting on the history of Burden Center.