This House Is Made of Newspaper. No, Seriously.

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I’m obsessed with the weirdness of the US right now. Last week, we visited House On The Rock…creepy! The game “rock, paper, scissors” has been stuck in my head so this week we will visit The Paper House. Fun!
- Cris

You Can Actually Visit a House Made of Newspaper. Yes, Really.

Tucked away in the coastal town of Rockport, Massachusetts where salt air sticks to your skin and lobster rolls are practically a food group, there’s a little house that makes zero sense and yet somehow… totally works.

It’s called The Paper House. And true to the name, it’s made almost entirely out of newspaper. Like, real newspaper. Headlines. Comic strips. Baseball box scores. Layer upon layer, shellacked and preserved, holding up actual walls.

And it’s not some modern art piece trying to be deep. This was a summer house. Built in the 1920s. By an engineer who just... wanted to see if he could.

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Who Builds a Paper House?

That would be Elis F. Stenman. He was a mechanical engineer who designed machines for making paperclips (which feels oddly appropriate). In 1922, he started building a little vacation home for himself and his wife in Rockport.

The frame? Wood. Totally normal. But for the insulation and interior walls, he decided to try something a little different - newspapers, glued together with a paste made from flour, water, and apple peels. (Imagine telling your HOA that.)

Thing is, it worked. Like, really worked. So he just kept going. Walls? Newspaper. Chairs? Newspaper. Desk? Piano? Fireplace? All paper. I’m amazed that ants and flies didn’t swarm that paste. Imagine returning from the grocery story to find that your home has been…eaten! He must have had a magic recipe because that did not happen.

Some people get carried away collecting seashells at the beach. Stenman got carried away building a fully functional house out of last year’s Sunday edition. Are you imagining the look on his wife’s face as she mumbled “cheap crazy …..”

What’s It Like Inside?

Stepping into the Paper House is like entering a time capsule made by your history teacher and your artsy aunt - if they were the same person and a little bit eccentric.

At first glance, it looks like a cozy old cottage. But then you look closer and realize the walls are made of sports pages and political columns from the 1920s. The armchair? Rolled-up newspaper logs. There’s a grandfather clock entirely covered in front-page news. A desk that looks like it was built by a librarian in a fever dream.

It’s surprisingly peaceful inside. Maybe it’s the layers of varnish. Maybe it’s the quiet rustle of history all around you. Or maybe it’s the fact that you’re standing in a building that makes zero logical sense and yet still feels strangely homey.

You might catch yourself reading the walls. “Lindbergh Flies Atlantic.” “Roosevelt Signs New Deal.” One chair leg has a headline about Babe Ruth.

You could honestly spend an hour just walking in slow circles, squinting at old ads for hair tonic and miracle tonics that claim to cure “hysteria.”

Going Somewhere? Protect Your Trip (and Your Sanity)

But Wait… Isn’t Paper Flammable?

You’d think! But Stenman sealed everything with heavy varnish that’s surprisingly good at fireproofing. It’s not exactly flame-retardant enough to roast marshmallows inside, but the place has stood for over a century without going up in smoke.

And don’t worry - it’s only open during the warmer months. This was always a summer house, never winterized. No one’s out here trying to shovel snow off a paper roof. But check out that sun porch! I don’t want excuses from modern builders who charge $1million for a cheaply produced tiny house. The should use newspaper and save me $800,000.

Is It Worth Visiting?

Oh, absolutely. It’s weird. It’s delightful. It’s like your grandpa’s garage and a museum had a paper baby.

Best part? It only costs a couple bucks to get in. Seriously. $2 for adults, $1 for kids. Cash only, so bring those crumpled bills in your glove compartment.

It’s self-guided and self-paced. No pressure. No gift shop pushing you to buy a mug that says “I love pulp.” Just a simple honor box and a walk through a strange little dream.

And honestly, it’s a nice reminder that you don’t need millions of dollars or a design degree to create something unforgettable. Sometimes all it takes is a big imagination, a stack of newspapers, and some really good glue.

The Need-to-Know

📍 52 Pigeon Hill Street, Rockport, MA
🗓️ Open May through October, weather permitting
💵 Admission: $2 adults / $1 kids — cash only
⏰ Allow 20-30 minutes to explore. Or longer if you’re the kind of person who reads cereal boxes.

Pro Tips

• Go in the late afternoon - the light through the trees makes the walls glow. It’s weirdly magical.

• Don’t lean on the walls (they’re historical documents, basically).

• Take your time. The best part is spotting the little gems: old comic strips, ads for corsets, typos in presidential speeches.

• There’s no air conditioning. Dress accordingly.

So the next time someone asks what you did this summer, you can say, “Oh, not much. Just visited a 100-year-old house made entirely out of newspaper.” And then watch their eyebrows do that confused squiggle.

Totally worth it.

See you next Wednesday.

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