The House

Architect Paul B. Saunders of Estes Park designed Brownhouse Estes in 1994 and Mountain Meadow Builders served as the contractor, completing construction in 1996.

Paul and his wife Marilyn retired to Estes Park in 1987 after living in Boulder from 1955 to 1965, and then southern California where Paul had been an architect Imagineer for the Walt Disney Company. He also owned his own firm there.

One of his first assignments when he went to work for Walt Disney was to design a master bathroom suite with a hot tub. At the time, Paul had not yet heard of a hot tub, they were not as ubiquitous as they are today. Walt Disney told him not to worry because his construction crew would take care of building a hot tub, he just needed to design the space the hot tub would go.

Over his many years with Walt Disney, Paul designed numerous rides and buildings at Disneyland, including the Omnimover system dubbed the “endless transit system” to move people on and off the rides, the Tomorrowland makeover, the Monsanto's Adventure Through Inner Space, and the interior of the Haunted Mansion. He is credited with coming up with the idea of using rubber for the expanding frames on the portraits of the people in the entry hall of the mansion. He also designed the Skyway from Fantasyland to Tomorrowland and the Goodyear Autopia racetrack at Walt Disney World.

For more information about Paul’s career as an imaginer, there is an interesting May 8, 2014, podcast interview with Paul conducted by Jeff Baham of the Doombuggies Spookshow that can be found on the internet and on iTunes among other streaming channels. Since URLs are not necessarily stable, if you’re interested in listening it would be best to do a Google search for the interview.

After moving to Estes Park to “retire” (the joke in Estes is that people who come here to “retire” often fail in their attempt and go on to experiencing new career chapters), Paul designed and built several homes and businesses in Estes Park, including the Ravencrest Chalet which is part of a bible school and retreat center on Pole Hill Road just off of Highway 36. With his natural white hair and flowing white beard, Paul played Santa Claus here in Estes Park during the holidays for some 20 years.

With his natural white hair and flowing white beard, Paul played Santa Claus here in Estes Park during the holidays for some 20 years. During his years in Estes, Paul was an active member of the United Methodist Church of Estes Park, was one of the founders of KREV FM radio, and played tuba in not one, but two bands. Paul died at his home here in Estes in 2015.

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