Building with Hemp: A History

Contrary to what its recent popularity boon might denote, hemp has been around for ages. Evidence exists for the use of cultivated hemp going back as early as 4500 BC. Now, this type of hemp is what’s now known as “industrial hemp,” strictly defined as containing less than 0.3% tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is the psychoactive compound in marijuana plants that gets one high. So no, industrial hemp cannot get you high.

However storied the history of THC-containing cannabis may be, this drug-free version of Cannabis also has quite the history, and has been used for dozens of practical purposes for thousands of years. Let’s take a look at the history of this plant, as well as the innovative ways in which hemp is being used as a building material today.

A History of Hemp Building Materials

Industrial Hemp in the Ancient World

Building with hemp goes back to Ancient China, the first region to ever cultivate and grow the crop. After it was domesticated and grown en masse, the Chinese used it as a composite building material, as well as in textiles and paper products. In fact, the writings of Confucius were often transcribed onto hemp paper. 

In the third century BC, hemp made the leap over to Japan and Korea, where it was used in everything from sandal straps to fishing line and symbolic temple objects. With many of these ancient objects still on display today.

Hemp building materials spread from Asia to Europe, with the Greek historian Herodotus even mentioning hemp in his famous The Histories. Incredibly, still standing today is an Ancient Roman bridge reinforced with hemp in what was Gaul and what is modern-day France, as Roman mortar was commonly infused with hemp. 

Representing this spread of hemp to the western world is evidence of hemp rope and fabric used in Germany as early as 400 BC. The Spanish Moors used hemp in the first-ever Western paper mill, and Egyptians used hemp in their sails and ship riggings. 

Industrial Hemp in the European Middle Ages

Hemp was so commonly used come the Middle Ages of Europe that the word canvas is actually derived from the Latin word cannabis, as the material on which many Renaissance works of art were created was made of hemp textile. Even some of the paint used by these masters was derived from oils in hemp seed.

From the sixteenth to the eighteenth centuries, hemp dominated the global market, reaching an all-time peak of popularity due to the rise in demand for ships. As hemp was used to create sails and rope for these vessels, it was considered absolutely essential to the burgeoning naval prowess of many countries, most notably Britain. Russia caught onto the popularity of hemp during this period as well, and by the 1800s one of their largest exports was hemp, supplied to Europe for the primary purpose of crafting more sails.

Industrial Hemp in America

When Europeans landed in the New World and Colonial New England began to form, the landscape began to sport many fields of hemp to craft clothing and rope, and, most notably, paper. The colonists used hemp to print Bibles and maps, and even used hemp seed oil to light lamps. Hemp was so vital to the early colonial economy that in 1640 the governor of Connecticut announced that every colonist had to grow industrial hemp. The Colony of Maryland actually offered hemp growers one pound of tobacco for every pound of hemp grown!

George Washington and Thomas Jefferson both grew hemp, and the first two drafts of the Declaration of Independence were written on hemp paper.

The Decline of Hemp

Thanks to the invention of steam and petroleum engines, the need for sails made of hemp had reduced drastically. The invention of the cotton gin had made cotton a much cheaper commodity, so it began to replace hemp’s previously vital role in the textile industry.

And then, in the 1900s, along came the illegalization of any and all hemp, putting a stop to hemp cultivation altogether. The material that once sported words that helped free a developing nation from taxation without representation had now fallen completely by the wayside, its previous essentiality to the worldwide economy all but forgotten.

Building with Hemp Today: How is Hempcrete Made?

Europe has been continuously experimenting with hemp as a building material since its arrival in the middle ages, as it never had a period of illegalization. In the 1980s, France developed the first version of hempcrete, a mixture of hemp fiber, water, and lime that results in a sturdy thermogenic material used to build homes and other structures. 

The use of hemp in building continued elsewhere around the world, with the British brewery Adnams building a brewery using hemp and lime blocks in 2006 in Suffolk, UK. The 2022 Beijing Olympics also featured hemp, as a Canadian company Greenfield Tech was contracted to build the luge and bobsled courses for the Olympics. They decided to use hemp, as traditional materials had the tendency to crack and fracture.

With the 2018 Farm Bill declaring industrial hemp fully legal for commercial growth and production, the U.S. is joining the international resurgence of hemp as a building material.

The Future of Hemp as a Building Material

Now that we are seeing increased supply of and demand for industrial hemp, companies like Bison Biocomposites are dedicated to crafting products that are high-quality, low-cost, easy-to-use, and sustainable. With the extensive and impressive history of this plant at our backs, we intend to place hemp in the spotlight once again, highlighting its natural strength, durability, and thermal properties in every product we craft.

Looking to write your name on the history of hemp? Check out our range of available products for purchase.