While the world is “obsessed” with creating sustainable structures out of renewable and recyclable materials; this certainly wasn’t a concern back in the age of the Great Depression. In fact, most of the people would have huffed away even the idea of building a home at the time when they were struggling to make their ends meet. But there was one mechanical engineer in Massachusetts outrageous enough to dare and make a house out of recyclable material, despite the sky-high construction prices.
Elis Stenman from the Rockport, Massachusetts got creative with an idea, and he managed to create a perfectly stable house out of 100,000 newspapers!
He even created a varnish out of glue, water, flour, and apple peels to make the house appear more aesthetically pleasing. The visitors can see some of the old newspapers that peek out of the chipped-out varnish coating to reveal historical headlines such as Herbert Hoover’s presidential campaign and Charles Lindbergh’s first momentous transatlantic flight.
Even objects like a treasure trove, handmade furniture, curtains, wicker chairs, and a wall clock are made entirely out of the newspapers. Yes, these apparent “wooden” logs are simply rolled paper too!
Stenman’s homemade varnish was so good that it kept the newspaper structure intact against the rough New England winters. The cabin was built in 1922, and Stenman’s family lived in it for six years. Soon enough, the authorities realized the uniqueness of the design, so they preserved it and transformed it into a museum after his death in 1942.
Visitors can witness the spectacle all year-round, and the ticket has been symbolically priced at $1.50, similar to what an average newspaper would cost today.
We had considered the house made out of trash as a crazy idea, however, getting to know about the house of newspapers has certainly changed our views.
What are your thoughts on this incredible house? Comment below!