Buildings tell stories. This one is of people who could have made millions selling their land to developers but chose to preserve it instead. Steele Burden designed gardens and collected old things--not just antiques and artifacts but whole buildings. He moved them onto his estate in Baton Rouge, creating the Rural Life Museum. Then he, his sister Ione and his sister-in-law Jeanette donated their 440-acre estate to LSU, with stipulations that will preserve this unique place forever. The Burden Museum and Gardens contains the museum, gardens, nature trail, LSU experimental farm and this building, the Orangerie designed by noted architect A. Hays Town to honor his friend Steele Burden. It houses a conservatory and exhibit rooms and is supposed to be an absolutely stunning place for a wedding!
It looks like a beautiful building which must have tons of fabulous natural light judging by all the windows I see. This is really an amazing photo of it with all the trees and clouds.
