Walk down the southern end of Chase Street in Anderson and you’ll find yourself in a neighborhood that smells of smoke - a mingling of people burning trash and leaves and a more pleasant cedary odor of wood burning stoves and neighbors enjoying drinks and cigarettes around a bonfire. The houses are cluttered closely together, many are run down and several abandoned. The occupied homes sport falling-down fences, bare patches in the lawns and some unusual lawn decor including tires, a collection of 40 ounce bottles, and a couple houses with homemade ornaments made from trashed items. Many have spray painted signs indicating their home mechanic or used tire business or a less welcoming “No Trespassing”. As you pass an abandoned house with graffiti tags on the front sandwiched between two abandoned lots you have to watch your step because the sidewalk is broken up and between the cracks weeds are growing. Ahead you see a long concrete structure with flaking paint and many large and crooked windows. The front door is painted bright pink and in cursive above it is a whimsical, hand-painted sign that reads “Burdock House”.
“Have you ever been walking through weeds and noticed these spikey, round things caught on your clothes?” asks Sybilla Medlin co-founder of Burdock House “Those are ‘Burs’; that’s Burdock!” She exclaims. Burdock House is an arts and cultural center and communal home just south of downtown Anderson. The residents there host many events including live original music, movie nights, pitch-in dinners and open mics. Burdock House is unusual because it is not incorporated or a non-profit and the project has been largely funded by a few individuals with part-time incomes. “We did receive a small amount in donations early on to help acquire the house but it was important to us to do something that almost anyone could do without loans, well-endowed connections, or a huge disposable income,” says Josh Medlin co-founder. They say that this “DIY” approach is a way to express and act on their political and social beliefs using their lifestyle ‘as both a protest sign and an alternative to the systems and structures they resist’.
Burdock House began in 2013 as part of the Catholic Worker movement, a loose network of collective houses, soup kitchens and activist groups who believe in living simply and communally while working together to create alternatives to capitalism, end all wars, and help the poor. ‘We started out as a “House of Hospitality” offering housing and meals and use of our washer and dryer, shower and even electricity once to those in need,’ Josh explained. “We still share our food and occasionally offer short term housing but after almost two years of that we realized we didn’t really have the resources to truly help chronically homeless people.” The house is now known and most heavily used for hosting concerts.
In the back of the house is a cozy living room with homemade built-in seating centering around a wood burning stove. The tour continues into the huge open concept kitchen and dining room, where the walls are brightly colored and the aesthetic of the house could be described as “starving artist” or “industrial bohemian”. “When we moved in here it was basically just an empty shell. We did most the work by ourselves,” says Sybilla with her infant daughter Corina strapped to her back. She guides you into a wide hall where there’s art from amateur Anderson artists and fliers advertising local music concerts between several bedroom doors. “After learning some construction skills and dealing with several housemate changes we ended up where we are today. I’m psyched about it and we are hoping to shift even more towards events where we can do hardcore community-building and some skill-sharing workshops and classes.” In the front of the house there’s a wide open space facing a medium-sized stage and an area with some mismatched rugs and couches and an old restaurant booth. The room is also home to shelves full of board games and a grocery cart labeled “Free Cart” which is filled with clothes, books, and other items.
“Many people find burdock to be a nuisance and an eye sore but when you start letting your lawn go it comes and it’s actually used by many cultures as medicine and a nutritious food. ‘Weeds’ are a critical part of a healthy ecosystem and can be a sign of the land repairing itself,” says Josh. Like a weed slipping through the cracks of a dilapidated sidewalk, Burdock House is inspired by and rising through Anderson’s economic decline. “ I see the house as a way to build the community that my family, friends, and I need to stay sane and happy and maybe we can help each other grow along the way and learn to be less reliant on a system that we see as harmful to the earth and humans.” says Sybilla. Josh adds, “Rather than see the changes in Anderson negatively, we view the low property values as creating opportunity and are excited by the challenge of learning how to live a life that is both fun and meaningful and our needs are met without the security of a high paying job.” The residents of Burdock House also keep a large garden and forage, which they say is part of their way to a simpler lifestyle that’s less dependent on the heavy use of resources and for-profit corporations. They share the excess produce with neighbors and the Christian Center.
If you want to learn more about Burdock House you can find them at 2444 Chase Street in Anderson
-written for AU student Jackie Grondahl's senior project
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