The 440-acre area now referred to as the Burden Center, originally Windrush Plantation, was owned by the Burden family from the mid 1800s until the final segment was donated to LSU in the early 1990s.

LSU began acquiring the property in 1966 with the donation of an initial 50-acre parcel. The donors were Steele Burden, former landscaper for the LSU Campus; his sister, lone Burden, former assistant dean of women at LSU; and Mrs. Jeanette Burden, widow of their brother, Pike Burden. Additional parcels were donated annually until 1992, when LSU acquired the final parcel.

The Burden family stipulated in the act of donation that the property be used for horticultural and agronomic research, for development of the Rural Life Museum, and as a green area devoid of buildings extraneous to these purposes. Just before donating the final parcel of land, Steele Burden amended these stipulations to include the construction of a new LSU art museum and possibly a museum of natural science on the property.

To secure the university's future adherence to these stipulations, the lone Burden Foundation was formed to ensure basic compliance with the intent of the donation. This foundation is composed of 12-14 prominent citizens interested in the appropriate husbandry of this resource.

Currently, two LSU campuses are responsible for the development and maintenance of the property. The LSU Agricultural Center (AgCenter) conducts a wide array of horticultural research projects relating to turfgrass, vegetable crops, nursery production, ornamentals and fruit crops. It is also responsible for Windrush Gardens and its developing plant collections. The lone Burden Conference Center, the Steele Burden Memorial Orangerie and the All-America Rose Display Garden are also under the aegis of the AgCenter. The AgCenter is responsible for the overall maintenance and development of 433 of the total 440 acres.

LSU A&M, also in Baton Rouge, is responsible for the development of the Rural Life Museum and the seven acres of land it occupies.

During 1998-1999, about 60,000 visited the Burden Center's plant displays, the Rural Life Museum and Windrush Gardens with primary focus on the Rural Life Museum. The lone Burden Conference Center hosts 5,000 to 6,000 people annually for various meetings and conferences.