Posted in North Carolina January 14, 2018 by

This House In North Carolina Made Entirely Of Hemp Is Beyond Amazing

We love discovering and sharing new and sometimes weird facts about the Tar Heel State, like the 15 random facts about our state in this previously published article. But this one is beyond bizarre – and equally amazing. Not only does North Carolina have at least one house made out of hemp (that’s right, marijuana’s close cousin), but we were also the first state in the US to build such a home. Take a look below at the first hemp house in America.

We’re aware that these uncertain times are limiting many aspects of life as we all practice social and physical distancing. While we’re continuing to feature destinations that make our state wonderful, we don’t expect or encourage you to go check them out immediately. We believe that supporting local attractions is important now more than ever and we hope our articles inspire your future adventures! And on that note, please nominate your favorite local business that could use some love right now: https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/nominate/
America's first hemp house was built in Asheville by former mayor Ross Martin, who was drawn to the green footprint the home would provide.
youtube/votehemp
The outer walls are made of hempcrete and are fourteen inches thick. Shown below is a cross section of a hempcrete wall. The material is, among other things, environmentally friendly and low maintenance.
youtube/votehemp
A finished hempcrete wall without any additional finishes is shown below. The stucco-like material offers exceptional insulation properties for both hot and cold temps.
Flickr/Jnzl's Photos
You may be wondering if the interior walls are as unique as the hemp on the outer walls. We think yes. They're made of compressed recycled paper. You can see a cross section sample in the photo below.
youtube/votehemp
America's first hemp home is a private residence. Sadly, it's not open for tours.
youtube/votehemp
But you can get a sneak peak of the inside in this short video below from youtube user votehemp:

Would you live in a home made of hemp? For some other unique homes in North Carolina keep reading here.