Pastor Brown’s Eye Catching House

The first time I saw Pastor Brown’s house, I had my friend stop so I could take a photo. It still is the most colorful and eye-catching house I’ve ever seen. My impression then was that an artist or someone equally comfortable with color lived there. Or someone who was absolutely not wedded to the conventions of design, or an eccentric.

Pastor Brown's descending the steps to his house
An Eye Catching House

My first photo was a quick shot, taken as the car rolled to a halt, the engine still running. My friend and I took off as soon as we noticed an elderly gentleman coming down the steps, his hand pointing in our direction. I was sure he would admonish me for taking a photo without his permission, or tell me I needed to pay a fee. And I felt guilty as we sped away. I felt I had invaded his privacy, something I’m very scrupulous about.

A year later, I was once again in Portland. This time, I was with a couple of my friends who I told about the house. I doubt they could imagine what I was trying to describe. It became one of those you’ve-got-to-see-this situations. When we got to the house, we knew we had to stop, and this time I was able to take it all in.

There was color everywhere, every inch of the house, every surface was decorated. There were also signs.

Pastor Brown's wall
Wall at the Brown house
Pastor Brown's gate
Gate to the house
Pastor Brown's sign
Sign and photos of Pastor Brown’s visit to Buckingham Palace
Pastor Brown's colors
Color everywhere

As we approached the gate to the property, a man waved and called out to us. “Come, come in!” he said, as if welcoming long lost friends.

The house is set back a good distance from the road. We walked down a grade, crossed a stream then walked up another grade to the house, which is set on the side of a hill.

Wall detail at Pastor Brown's
Wall Detail
Pastor Brown and Mrs Brown
Pastor & Mrs Brown

As we got to the steps, the man introduced himself as Pastor Brown. He called out and his wife appeared from behind a brightly painted door and joined us on the verandah.  Pastor Brown proudly showed us around his house. He was clearly proud of the work he had done over the years. He was even prouder to show us photos of his travels. Among them, his pride and joy, a faded photo of him standing outside Buckingham Palace. The way he tells it, it sounds like he actually met the Queen Elizabeth.

Pastor Brown's house
The house

For the record, Pastor Brown is a real preacher. He and his wife were so hospitable I even promised to visit the next time I’m in the area.

This post is part of Travel Photo Thursday, which Nancie at Budget Travelers Sandbox organizes. Be sure to head over and check out more photos from locations around the world.

33 comments on “Pastor Brown’s Eye Catching House

  1. Oh Marcia, I remember when you first took that photo of the house and now you’ve met the owner. I would love to visit Pastor and Mrs. Brown one day. This post is great!!! (I hope they get to see it).

  2. Wow, that was something else, I love seeing the colorful and quirky personalities in a place….some of the details up close like the mosaics are pretty cool….what a way to make personal statement!

  3. What an incredible house, and all due credit to Pastor Brown for being so inventive with colour and creation. I’m so glad you went back after a couple of years and met him 🙂

  4. Aww,..what a charming house and Pastor.
    I can’t get over the creativity and the burst of colors of this house. Pastor Brown seems like a sweet sweet man. I’d love to see this house and meet the pastor when I visit Jamaica.

  5. I really appreciate his use of color. Clearly he’s someone who’s not afraid of listening to the music of his soul and he has someone who let’s him be who he is. I’m glad I went back.

  6. Definitely quirky. It made me think of a guy I met in DC years ago. The work he did in prison could have come straight from S. Africa, specifically Ndebele. Interesting.

  7. How cool that you got to see the house up close and tour it. Pastor Brown sounds like a wonderful man. I wonder how many curious he people he gives a tour to every year 🙂 The house is so quirky and colorful you can\’t help but smile looking at it. Love those wall details.

  8. That’s amazing! I wonder how much time he spent decorating that house.. And that sign outside with his photos in England — looks like he’s really proud of his visit!

  9. I’m sure that Pastor Brown probably gets a lot of passersby taking pictures of his home and it seems that he welcomes it. I guess he’s designed his very own Buckingham Palace – Jamaica style!

  10. That is just amazing!

    Just a note on the ‘not enough words in the comment box’ I keep getting. I am not a person of many words when it comes to commenting on posts, but I would really love to comment on your posts with what I feel from the heart and not with what I need to do to get through this ‘firewall’

    Happened to me last week too, and I just didn’t comment.

  11. Hey Denise, thanks for returning and alerting me to this. The comment minimum is set to 5 words minimum to help to deter spam comments. Sorry you got caught in it but I hope this won’t stop you from commenting in future.

  12. I really like how colorful and creative Pastor Brown’s house is. My homeowner’s association in Texas squashes any attempt to stray outside of convention. He and his wife seem so friendly. If there house is any indication, they must have been a hoot.

  13. I’m so happy I did, Mary, and I’m glad I met Pastor Brown. Both he and his wife are wonderful people, very hospitable.
    The people who stop are mostly foreigners.

  14. I can see why you couldn’t help but stop and take a picture. He seems like a charming gentleman from his smile alone – and what a hospitable couple – to invite you in.

  15. What a great read, Marcia! Wow, no kidding on the colors. I like the Buckingham Palace and Pastor and Mrs Brown pics the best! I see faces like that on a rainy night in a foreign country and would ask them, “Can we please come in?” They are too adorable! 🙂

  16. Whoa! What a cool looking house. Definitely eye catching. So lucky that you got invited for a personal tour, the guy sounds like a character I’d love to have a chance to chat with.

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