09/Apr/2009
What’s an Orangerie?
Across the street from the blooming rose garden is a beautiful memorial to Steele Burden. It is an orangerie built by several of Burden’s friends in memory of his many contributions to the people of Louisiana.
The final heir to Windrush Plantation passed away in 1995, but not before donating all 440 acres of his family plantation to LSU. For this reason, his friends wanted to honor him after his death.
The orangerie looks a lot like a chapel. It was a building popular among the most affluent plantation owners.
Little more than an oversized greenhouse, it housed three or four large orange trees. During the winter months, the orange trees would flourish. Families and their slaves on the plantation could eat oranges year round, saving many from cases of scurvy.
Although the orangerie at the Burden Research Center does not house any citrus trees, it was built using historic design techniques. Since its construction, Burden Center Director Pat Hegwood has been surprised by the large number of weddings couples want to have there. He credits its peaceful setting and light-filled room as the perfect place for a romantic ceremony.
Across the street from the blooming rose garden is a beautiful memorial to Steele Burden. It is an orangerie built by several of Burden’s friends in memory of his many contributions to the people of Louisiana.
The final heir to Windrush Plantation passed away in 1995, but not before donating all 440 acres of his family plantation to LSU. For this reason, his friends wanted to honor him after his death.
The orangerie looks a lot like a chapel. It was a building popular among the most affluent plantation owners.
Little more than an oversized greenhouse, it housed three or four large orange trees. During the winter months, the orange trees would flourish. Families and their slaves on the plantation could eat oranges year round, saving many from cases of scurvy.
Although the orangerie at the Burden Research Center does not house any citrus trees, it was built using historic design techniques. Since its construction, Burden Center Director Pat Hegwood has been surprised by the large number of weddings couples want to have there. He credits its peaceful setting and light-filled room as the perfect place for a romantic ceremony.
