Jolene & Heywood Brown History

You’ve seen the doors before…the curling waves, the birds and seagrass. These delicate screened works of art grace the entry of many a Florida home. Designed by one of our very own Colonialtown neighbors, Jolene Brown, her original screen doors can be found in Colonialtown, Park Lake Highland and Winter Park. They were originally commissioned by David Sloan, Sr. of Ornamental Ironworks Company in the 1950’s. Since then, the design has become an undeniable hallmark of the Florida Retro style.

I sat down with neighbors Jolene and Heywood Brown on May 31 to talk with them about their life together in Colonialtown and, of course, ask about the famous screen doors. It turns out that Jolene’s purpose in designing the exquisite doors was not just beauty, but function as well. In fact, they were a Baby Boomer necessity: “There was a problem with kids pushing through the screen on the bottom of screen doors. I designed the doors so that the kids had something they could push their hands on instead of pushing through the screen.”

Taking a stroll down Shine Avenue you can see Jolene’s original designs, right around the corner from her own childhood home on Pine Grove Street. A third generation Floridian, Jolene’s grandparents were married in Orlando in 1896. Jolene attended Hillcrest Elementary and graduated from Orlando High School (now Howard Middle School) in 1944. Jolene’s husband, Heywood, moved to Orlando with his family in 1935 and graduated from Orlando High School in 1940. Heywood and Jolene married in 1945 and, according to Heywood, proceeded to have a “year-and-a-half honeymoon” skiing in Oregon during the winter and living in a one-room cottage directly on the beach in California during the spring.

The couple eventually made their way back to Orlando and decided to purchase a lot on Altaloma Avenue in 1947 after hearing about a new Elementary school that was to be built on Fern Creek. After buying the land, Heywood began constructing the family home himself from a house plan they purchased from Better Homes and Gardens magazine. At that time, there were only 3 houses (including their own) on Altaloma Avenue. Every morning, Heywood would ride his bike to Rollins College where he attended classes, and then ride home in the afternoon to work on the house with the help of his family, friends, and neighbors. Heywood eventually earned his CPA degree, and had a long, successful career working 35 years in downtown Orlando at the now global accounting company, Ernest & Young.

Jolene and Heywood continue to be very active in the community. Jolene is a critically acclaimed artist whose artwork can be found throughout Florida. Both currently volunteer at Leu Gardens. Heywood created and donated a chrysalis box in the butterfly gardens at Leu Gardens.