The most unusual home in Hopkinton, one that over the years has been nicknamed the Marshmallow House, the Space Pod, the Fiberglass Folly and more, is changing hands.
The house on Jewett Road was built – perhaps “assembled” is a better word – in 1973. Its unusual structure is the result of a project by the Mexican government to create cheap housing.
Mexico worked with Owens-Corning to create the home’s basic component, which looks like a 15-foot fiberglass tube cut in half although it is actually two half-tubes of 1/8-inch-thick fiberglass, one inside the other, with 2 inches of foam insulation between them. Put six of these pods in a snowflake shape, bolt them together, cover the intersection with a dome that has a central skylight and the result was a quick-to-build, cheap house.
Mexico rolled out the design in the 1960s and a developer whose name has been lost to time started making the pods in Florida. Apparently, however, he never got permission and lawsuits started flying. That drove the developer into bankruptcy but not before a franchise in New Hampshire sold a half-dozen houses.
David Gintzler on Concord told the Monitor in 2017 that he spotted a model on display in Meredith and bought two, with the idea of attaching them on four acres of land he had recently purchased. After creating the house in 1973, he raised his children there and says he loved it despite early construction issues – he’s the one who produced the “Fiberglass Folly” nickname. Gintzler sold the home to another family around 2000, who sold it to the current owner four years ago.
Over the years the home has seen some improvements such as tongue-and-groove ceilings to strengthen the structure and break up the all-white interior, as well as the addition of a garage that looks like a modern-day Conestoga wagon. It has drawn attention from the Monitor and other publications.
It was put up for sale earlier this month because the owner is moving away, said Mark Fahrenholtz of Broadvest Real Estate Group in Swanzey. Fahrenholtz said a closing with a new owner is expected shortly.
The four-acre property is made up of two lots. A second home will go up on one lot but the prospective buyer plans to keep and refurbish the fiberglass house, Fahrenholtz said he added that it wasn’t just the design that drew the buyer but also the price of $325,000.
“There are not a lot of houses for sale in that price range. He’s not looking for a dome, he’s looking for a place to live,” Fahrenholtz said.
At least one other similar house is in New Hampshire, visible from I-89 in Enfield.
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