Nearly a century after its completion, one of New England’s most eccentric buildings—the Paper House—continues to defy expectations and the elements, standing as a quirky monument to sustainable vision and sheer ingenuity.
The unique two-story cottage, located in Rockport, was built by mechanical engineer Elis F. Stenman, who envisioned the structure as a testament to the efficient and resourceful use of materials.
Stenman began construction in 1922, choosing wood only for the frame, roof, and floor. The walls, however, were constructed using a simple, yet highly effective, recipe: The Ingredients: Stenman reportedly used over 100,000 newspapers, gluing the flat sheets together with a simple paste made from flour and water.The Protection: Once the layers were thick enough, they were finished with a thick coating of varnish (or shellac) for weatherproofing and preservation.
Completed in 1924, the Paper House has since survived nearly a hundred years of brutal New England winters, coastal humidity, and storms, a testament to the durability of the varnish coating and Stenman’s design.
Stenman’s paper obsession did not stop at the walls. He meticulously crafted almost all the furniture inside the cottage entirely from folded, rolled, and varnished newspapers and magazines.
A paper grandfather clock, showing the date of its creation. A sturdy desk and lamp.An elaborate piano—all fashioned out of hardened, printed paper, carefully folded and rolled to create structural integrity and unique decorative patterns. The Paper House remains a fascinating and enduring tribute to one man’s brilliant imagination, attracting visitors who marvel at this sustainable vision preserved in print.
