History of the Mountain House

The Mountain House was built in the early 1850’s by Louis Meganhoffen, a German immigrant who fled his country during the Freedom from Persecution Act of 1846. Wine bottle shaped windows and remnants of hillside terracing evidence the home’s original use as one of the first wineries in Ohio.

Dard Hunter purchased the property in 1919. After renovations, he quickly utilized the 1850’s wing of the house for his letterpress printing studio which he appropriately named the “Mountain House Press.”

Dard Hunter’s remarkable career as an artist, designer and illustrator had already been established through his work with the Roycrofters and in London and Vienna. But it would be here at Mountain House that he was to pursue a study that would eventually establish him as the world’s foremost authority on the history and craft of papermaking.

In 1923, Hunter announced the publication of Old Papermaking which was written, set and printed entirely by hand at the Mountain House Press. Publication of this extraordinary volume brought instant acclaim and recognition from artists, collectors, papermakers and scholars around the world.

Over the next five decades, eight masterful publications would be printed at the Mountain House Press by Hunter and his son, Dard II, who carried on the legacy in many ways, including the publication of his own magnum opus, The Life Work of Dard Hunter. Today, over thirty years after his death, Hunter is still recognized as the world’s foremost authority on paper and papermaking.

The Ohio Bicentennial Historic Marker honoring Dard Hunter and the Mountain House. Dedicated in October of 2003.

The Mountain House Legacy

The Mountain House stands today as testimony to what an individual can accomplish who has the focus, direction and inclination to follow their passions. Each resident has left his mark – from the builder, Meganhoffen, who established the terraced vineyards on the steep slope in front of the house; to Dard II, whose masterful furniture adorns every room; to Dard Sr., whose archive of over 10,000 letters and an equal number of books serve as a distinguished archive of papermaking history. It is now our responsibility to ensure that the house and its contents remain secure for generations to come.

The Mountain House and Dard Hunter Studios are open for tours. The Dard Hunter Library and Archives are also available for research. Please contact us for more information.

Mountain House Press

Dard Hunter’s Mountain House Press has been recognized by collectors and scholars as one of the most unique printing establishments of the 20th century. Few people realize the extraordinary lengths Hunter went through to ensure that his research on papermaking was presented in an accurate and interesting manner. The eight books that were produced at the Mountain House Press from 1922-1950 represent the culmination of over one million miles of travel to the most remote regions of the world, gathering rare paper samples from many destinations. Each book was printed on an iron hand press with hand set type, many with his own designed typeface or that of Dard II.

For many years, Hunter had wanted to print a book based on several articles he had initially published on the history of hand papermaking and watermarks. Initially he had no thought of producing this book himself, but he was persuaded to print it using his type. Thus, Mountain House press was begun.

Old Papermaking, completed in 1923 was a financial and critical success. Like many of his later books, it was designated on the the “Fifty Books of the Year” by the American Institute of Graphic Arts. On the title page, there is no information about the printer/publisher, but Hunter’s printer’s mark is prominent. This mark, based on the branch and leaf motifs of the Marlborough books, also includes a Bull’s head, an old watermark device. The printer’s mark changed with each book as one leaf was added to denote the total number of books printed by Dard Hunter’s press with his or his son’s, type. Hunter’s next book, The Literature of Papermaking 1390-1800 was completed in 1925 and is a large, folio format well suited to his 18-point type.

For his next seven books, Hunter concentrated on oriental papermaking and traveled to mills in foreign lands to gather first-hand information and materials. In early 1925 he was on a ship to the South Seas Islands to record the manufacture of beaten bark cloth called tapa. There he collected materials, tools, and information that resulted in his 1927 book, Primitive Papermaking. It is on the title page of this book that the imprint Mountain House Press first appears. In 1932, Old Papermaking in China and Japan was published by the Mountain House Press. It was the last book to be printed with Hunterís type. In 1933 he traveled to Japan, Korea, and China; in 1935, to Indo-China and Siam; and in 1937-38 to India. Several books on hand papermaking in these countries followed, all quartos printed with Caslon type.

For the last book to be written by Hunter and published by the Mountain House Press, Dard II hand cut and cast a completely new font of type. This book was the magnificent Papermaking by Hand in America completed in late 1950. Over three hundred pages long with nearly 200 illustrations and facsimiles of old watermarked papers, this book remains Hunter’s masterpiece. The leaf on the printer’s mark designating this book has fallen from the branch, signifying the last book he would print at Mountain House Press.

He did not retire from writing, however, and published his autobiography, My Life With Paper, in 1958.

Mountain House Press books:

  • Old Papermaking
  • The Literature of Papermaking 1390-1800
  • Primitive Papermaking
  • Old Papermaking in China and Japan
  • Papermaking in Southern Siam
  • Chinese Ceremonial Paper
  • Papermaking in Indo-China
  • Papermaking By Hand in America

Mountain House Press remained active during the lifetime of Dard Hunter II. His masterful printing is evidenced in The Life Work of Dard Hunter, a two volume set which chronicles the life of his father. Volume I includes 198 text pages with 194 hand printed and 65 black and white illustrations. Many of these were painstakingly printed to resemble the paper and color from Dard Hunter’s original drawings. Volume II has 25 color and 75 black and white illustrations, 34 paper specimens, and 23 title page reproductions. These books represent a true labor of love.

Today, the Mountain House press is still in operation. It is here that we print many items available through Dard Hunter Studios.

Complete Bibliography

Printed at Marlborough:

Printed at Mountain House Press:

Authored by Hunter, commercially printed:

The Mountain House Library

The Mountain House Library & Archives holds a complete collection of Hunter’s Mountain House Press books on the subject of papermaking as well as the manuscripts, printer’s dummy, and ephemera related to each book. The collection also houses numerous Roycroft publications featuring Hunter’s designs.

In addition to work produced by Hunter, Sr., the collection also includes The Life Work of Dard Hunter which was written and printed by Dard Hunter, II. This magnificent two volume set lives up to its title and is a true labor of love from son to father.