Pasaquan Preservation Society Oral History Interviews (MC 340)

Organizational Note

These oral history interviews were made as part of a history class taught at Columbus State University by Amanda Rees in the Spring of 2015. The full name of the project was the Pasaquan Preservation Society Oral History. This collection consists of interviews with members of the group dedicated to preserving the legacy of Eddie Owens Martin (St. EOM) after his death. According to Wikipedia, Pasaquan is a 7-acre compound near Buena Vista, Georgia, created by an eccentric folk artist named Eddie Owens Martin (1908-1986), who called himself St. EOM. An internationally renowned art site, it consists of six major structures including a redesigned 1885 farmhouse, painted concrete sculptures, and 4 acres of painted masonry concrete walls. In September 2008, Pasaquan was accepted for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.

Martin inherited the land from his mother and, using proceeds earned from fortune telling, transformed the house and its surrounding land. In an article on the outsider artist, Tom Patterson describes Pasaquan as "one of the most remarkable folk art environments in America — a sort of mock pre-Columbian psychedelic wonderland of brightly painted totems, curved and angled walls and walkways, and wildly ornamented structures that [Martin] called "temples" and "pagodas." The site was maintained by the Pasaquan Preservation Society until it passed to the Kohler Foundation which has undetaken a major restoration and stabilization project on the site.

Scope and Content

These oral history interviews were conducted with Pasaquan Preservation Society members in and near Buena Vista, Georgia during the spring of 2015 as part of Dr. Amanda Rees' cultural geography class. The interviews illuminate the story of Pasaquan, particularly how it has been transformed from the time of creation by Eddie Owens Martin, also known as St. EOM, through its care under the Pasaquan Preservation Society and the Kohler Foundation as it ultimately prepares to come under the stewardship of Columbus State University. These 13 interviews were conducted by students of Amanda Rees as part of a class in cultural geography. Each one exists as an MP file and a transcript. There is a release form for each interview.

Spring, 2015 1 box (.3 l.f.)

Permission to Publish

Permission to publish material from the Pasaquan Preservation Society Oral History Interviews must be obtained from the Columbus State University Archives at Columbus State University. Use of the following credit line for publication or exhibit is required:

Pasaquan Preservation Society Oral History Interviews, MC 340Columbus State University ArchivesColumbus, Georgia

Provenance

Transferred to the CSU Archives by Amanda Rees in the Spring of 2015.

Note to Researchers:

The audio files and transcripts are available in our Digital Archives.

Folder List

• Folder 1 - Anderson, Bond and Meg
• Folder 2 - Cantrell, Victoria Lausen
• Folder 3 - Fussell, Fred and Cathy
• Folder 4 - Lupold, John
• Folder 5 - Moye, Ann M.
• Folder 6 - Moye, Mac
• Folder 7 - Pike, Benjamin
• Folder 8 - Polk, William
• Folder 9 - Rogers, John S.
• Folder 10 - Rogers, Penny
• Folder 11 - White, Steve
• Folder 12 - Wight, t. Burton Jr.
• Folder 13 - Williams, Walker