The Paper House
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The Paper House is a wood and reinforced cardboard structure, made from papier-mâché and wire mesh, in striking green and white paint. This prefabricated two-bedroom dwelling built on wooden stilts in 1894, was home to the first mine manager of the Globe and Phoenix Mine (Gold Mine), Mr H.A. Piper, and is the only surviving building of its type. The structure, still in fairly good condition, was proclaimed a historic building and National Monument in 1975. Most of the domestic furniture in the Paper House is original and typical of the early days in the twentieth century.
See also Phoenix House in Kwekwe.
Why Visit
Kwekwe (formerly Que Que) has been linked to mining since ancient times and the National Mining Museum is very appropriately sited at Zimbabwe’s second largest gold producer, the Globe and Phoenix mine which produced over 4.2 million ounces of gold in its lifetime at an average grade of 27.6 grammes per ton.
The exhibits, all associated with mining, provide an insight into the complexities of mining and the degree of technical expertise required to win precious metals from great depths.
The Paper House is an amazing and unique historical relic from 1894. Other known paper houses imported in the early days are also mentioned with some photos of some early buildings.
Zimbabwe Monuments, Galleries And Museums
