Time traveling in New England: The 1920s Paper House of Rockport, MA

In 1922, a Massachusetts inventor who lived in the seaside town of Rockport decided to build a summer house out of newspaper, presumably just to see if he could. Almost 100 years later, the Paper House, and all of it's newspaper furnishings, are still standing. This past week, I went on a mini-road trip to check it out.

It was a blustery day with a nor'easter blowing in off the coast, but inside the Paper House it was nice and dry. Admission is on the honor system, and photos are welcome. Some of the highlights included a desk made from newspapers about Charles Lindbergh's flight and a grandfather clock constructed of newspaper from each of the (48) state capitols. The paper walls are coated with a thick layer of age-darkened varnish, but if you get up close, you can still see the headlines and images from the 1920s papers. I especially enjoyed the fashion illustrations.

After touring the house (which takes longer than you think for a two room house because there are so many details to take in), I went into Rockport for a warm bowl of New England clam chowder and stopped into a 1920s era candy shop for some salt water taffy before heading home. I hope you enjoy the photos below, and if you're ever in Rockport, make sure to check out this unusual 1920s gem!