Steel Burden and His Masterpiece: Windrush Gardens, an article published in the September 2005 issue of Louisiana Gardener Magazine

Strolling through historic Windrush Gardens, once again, I contemplated the tremendous impact this wonderful gift from the Burden family has made on our region. I marvel at the majestic live oaks and ancient crape myrtles which create a shady canopy over the gardens for the copious azaleas and camellias and other favorite trees and shrubs of Steele Burden. Only special gardens created in another century can evoke such a sense of tranquility and peace and yearning for a simpler, less hectic lifestyle.

The story begins about one hundred and fifty years ago when the parcel of land in East Baton Rouge Parish known as Windrush Plantation was presented as a wedding gift to John Charles Burden and Emma Gertrude Barbee by her uncle William S. Pike Sr. The old Ward's Creek which meanders through the property reminded John Charles of the scenic Windrush River in the Cotswolds near London, England where the Burden family had come from, hence Windrush Plantation was named. Today the name is used in reference to the gardens surrounding the old Burden home. The land was used as an agricultural (cotton and corn) and cattle farm.

In 1895 William Pike Burden Sr., son of John Charles and Emma, married Ollie Steele and they had three children: Ione Easter Burden, William Pike Burden Jr. and Ollie Steele Burden. In 1905 Windrush Plantation, consisting of 600 acres, was transferred to William Pike Burden Sr. for $3,000. At first the family lived in Baton Rouge near the state capitol and used Windrush as their country home, riding out for the weekend in their horse and buggy. In 1921 they renovated the old farmhouse on the property and moved permanently to Windrush. A modest house, it was typical of most plantation homes. Sadly, William Pike Burden Sr. died four years later.

After the death of William Pike Burden Sr., the family continued the development of Windrush Plantation. Miss Ollie, as she was affectionately known, lived to age 87, dying in 1958. After her death, the property devolved to the three children. All three lived most of their adult lives on the site, were well-liked members of the community and highly respected philanthropists. Ione, the only one to receive a college degree, spent the majority of her working career on the LSU campus and was Directory of Student Activities from 1948 to 1961 when she retired. She never married and lived at Windrush with Miss Ollie and her brother Steele. Although interested in her brother's projects, developing the gardens and the Rural Life Museum, she let him make the decisions, helping Steele as  financial adviser and backer. It was her accumulated funds that are now astutely used by the Burden Foundation. Ione died at age 87 in 1983 and is buried on the property where she had spent so many years.

William Pike Burden Jr., known as Pike, was a skilled businessman and civic leader who owned and operated a well known Baton Rouge printing company. He married Jeanette Monroe in 1922. Eventually they moved to Windrush, adding a new West Indies style home to the property in 1940. He died in 1965. It was during this decade that the Burdens began the donation of the majority of the property to LSU.

The youngest of the three children, Ollie Brice Steele Burden, better known as Steele, was born in 1900. He pursued his interests with unbridled enthusiasm and conviction. As an independent young man he traveled widely, often working his way to Europe on a steamer, or as a stowaway. He also made several trips to Latin America until middle aged. Steele was greatly influenced by the formal European landscapes, especially the Italian garden styles and the use of statuary as focal points in the gardens. His landscape designs over the years typically included formal elements such as symmetrically designed beds, individual garden rooms, allees, water features and garden ornamentation. Steele loved collecting beautiful and interesting objects and purchased many of his garden statues during his travels. Traveling broadened his innate artistic talents which he credited as being inherited from his grandfather. He was known for his natural talent and ability in several media with sketching, painting, photography and sculpture providing a creative arena where he could express his artistic sense. He felt his inherent need to be surrounded by beauty gave him the inspiration to create and his appreciation for all art forms allowed him to keep his creative spirit alive throughout his lifetime.

To read the complete publication about Steele Burden and Windrush Gardens, click here.