The Paper House was the brainchild of Elis F. Stenman, a mechanical engineer who spent his career designing machines that made paper clips. At the Paper House, those very front pages were rolled, shaped, and varnished into a writing desk that still sits in the house today. That distinction matters more than people realize when they first hear the building described as a paper house. The Paper House became an informal museum in the 1930s, welcoming curious visitors who had heard rumors of a house made entirely from old newspapers. Why The Paper House Deserves A Spot On Your New England Road TripSome places earn their reputation through grandeur.