How does one describe Pasaquan? Its supporters at Columbus State University call it a ‘Mock-Precolumbian Psychedelic Wonderland.’
Among the trees of rural Buena Vista, Georgia sits this 7-acre spectacle, including six structures with interior spaces that feature vibrant murals and more than 900 feet of meticulously-painted masonry. The design is a mix of pre-Columbian Mexican, African, and Native American cultural and religious symbols with motifs inspired by James Churchward’s book “The Lost Continent of MU”, which tells the story of a mythical lost continent.
The singular Georgia site was the creation of an equally singular man named Eddie Martin Owens, whose eclectic story is told on Pasaquan’s website.
During a high fever in 1935, Owens reportedly received a vision from a supernatural being who ordered him to change his ways and follow the path of Pasaquoyanism, a new religion. Owens agreed, changing his name to St. EOM, pronounced “ohm,” and became the world’s first Pasaquoyan. He spent 21 years in New York developing this spiritual belief system and crafting a Pasaquoyan aesthetic.
In 1956, St. EOM reportedly had another vision in which he was commanded to return to his recently-deceased mother’s farm outside Buena Vista. There, he worked as a fortune teller and card reader. He also spent the last three decades of his life creating what is now Pasaquan.
In 2014, the Pasaquan Preservation Society partnered with the Kohler Foundation, a philanthropic art preservation organization, to help restore Pasaquan. After the work was done, it was given to Columbus State in 2016.
Today, Pasaquan is open to guests and hosts workshops that promote St. EOM’s legacy and creative diversity. The university hosts about 10 interns who help maintain Pasaquan. There is also a resident artist program which results in new creations inspired by Pasaquan and St. EOM.
Pasaquan is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday-Sunday and is located about 30 miles southeast of Columbus, Georgia at 238 Eddie Martin Rd. Guests are asked for a contribution of $10 for adults, $5 for seniors, and $3 for students.
