If you’re ever around Rockport, Massachusetts, then you necessarily must visit the Paper House – an ambitious papercrafting project attracting visitors since the late ‘20s. Set on the rocky coast of Cape Ann, the Paper House was built by Elis F. Stenman, a mechanical engineer as his very own summer house. His project soon grew and he incorporated furniture and paper decorations, turning the work of art into a fascinating roadside museum.

The material for the wall is made from pressed newspapers, glue and warmish. He simply rolled the papers until they were half an inch thick, cut them, and glued them, thus creating this amazing papier mache. The house’s walls are made out of 215 layers of newspaper, most of which are completely readable. An estimated 100,000 newspapers have been used to create this two-room oddball house. As for potential damage from the rain – you needn’t worry; the house has a regular tar and shingle roof.

The writing desk is made entirely out of accounts of Charles Lindbergh’s transatlantic flight and a radio made from news from the time of Herbert Hoover’s Presidential Campaign. All the objects are made of paper, except for the brick fireplace and the insides of the piano, while the grandfather clock is made out of the flags from the capital city newspapers of the 48 US states.

The museum is now managed by Stenman’s grandniece. She said she had no idea how her granduncle came about to building the project, but she believes that it is because paper was cheap and everybody gave it to him for free.

The Paper House is open for visits throughout the day, from spring to fall. Admission is $1.50 for adults and $1.00 for children ages 6 - 14. For more information on how to reach the museum or contact it, head to its official website, PaperHouseRockport.com.

Photos courtesy of maisonbisson