Luther Burbank Concrete "Ruins" Explained
10/13/2024
For years, people have walked on the paved path in Luther Burbank Park, heading toward the new Calkins Point beach park and have wondered about the concrete “ruins” on the west side of the path.
They will wonder no more.
On Monday, Sept. 30, a new sign was installed explaining that the “ruins” were the foundation of a milk barn and dairy operation that was part of the Luther Burbank School, which operated from 1905 until 1965. Formerly named the Boys Parental School, Luther Burbank School was a
residential facility run by the Seattle School District to handle boys ages 9 to 17, committed there by the Juvenile Court of King County. The name had been changed to avoid the stigma of a “parental school” and to honor the memory of the noted horticulturalist, Luther Burbank. The boys attended classes in the morning and worked on the farm in the afternoon. Enrollment peaked at 137 in 1944.
The sign was a joint project planned and paid for by the Mercer Island Historical Society and the Friends of Luther Burbank Park and designed by James Engelhardt.
The only remnants of the school are the steam plant along the lakefront, which with the help of a state historical grant and organizations like the Historical Society, is currently being renovated; the brick building (a dormitory known as “Lake Cottage”) and the ruins of the milk barn.
Members of the Historical Society and Friends of Luther Burbank Boards
