Naulakha Campaign
This is a very exciting time for The Landmark Trust USA as we move forward on a transformational project at our National Historic Landmark flagship property - Rudyard Kipling’s Naulakha - and its larger estate to preserve its history, protect it from climate change, and enhance the public’s experience of this treasured place. Please support our special campaign to raise $1,250,000 to achieve this goal.
Rudyard Kipling’s stories have endured and inspired people through the decades, and so has the Naulakha estate. Its lasting legacy reflects Kipling’s imagination while encouraging a lasting commitment in his readers. We are dedicated to honoring the magical place that inspired him, so it can continue to thrill current and future generations. This dedication requires a historian’s heart, an explorer’s mindset, and a commitment to quality and vision.
In-Kind Roof Replacement
A building is only as secure as its ability to keep water out, and this starts with the roof. Naulakha’s cedar shingle roof is an important character defining feature of the Shingle Style main home and has long provided insulation, aesthetic and historic beauty, and climate endurance. The current roof was installed to match the original when Landmark acquired the property in the early 1990s. Now 30+ years old, the time has come to replace the roof in-kind with new historically accurate cedar shingles, as well as replace the distinctive built in gutters and flashing to ensure the building stays looking its best and is secure from water intrusion.
Additionally, the cedar roofs of the historic Ice House (next to the Carriage House) and Gazebo (what the Kipling’s called their “summer house,” now near the tennis court) will be replaced in-kind as well.
Raise the Roof by sponsoring a shingle!
Want to make a lasting impact on the new roof? Sponsor a shingle! Much like popular “buy a brick” fundraisers, sponsoring a shingle will give you the opportunity to be a part of the new roof in a tangible way. We’ll write your name on the underside of a shingle that will actually go on Naulakha’s roof and send you a photo of the shingle before it is placed. Use your name, dedicate your shingle in honor or memory of a loved one, or remain anonymous. Shingle sponsorships are available with your donation of $100 or more. First, make your donation; on the donation page, please select Naulakha Campaign from the dropdown menu under Select an Initiative to ensure your donation is earmarked correctly. Next, fill out the shingle sponsorship form and you’re all set!
Comprehensive Drainage Solution
In 2023 Vermont experienced 100-year and 1,000-year floods, and these are occurring with greater frequency. The hillside below Naulakha, where leachfields and septic systems are located, remains wet and soggy much of the time, threatening the original clay tennis court and the Gazebo next to it. More water has been observed in the building basements after rains as well. The growing impacts of more frequent rainstorms have highlighted the need for us to comprehensively address Naulakha’s drainage system to ensure the property is able to handle the impacts of a changing climate.
We are proactively addressing drainage at the entire site, finding and correcting sources of leakage from older systems, and creating a drainage system to protect the historic structures and site by handling current and future rainfall and natural runoff.
Stable Rehabilitation Into New Overnight Rental
While we completely restored the estate’s main home and carriage house many years ago, the original Stable has been left largely untouched. The Stable, constructed in 1896 as home to Kipling’s horses, Nip and Tuck, has inspired us to embark on a rehabilitation project transforming this remarkable building into a new year-round vacation rental destination.
In this ‘Nip and Tuck’ campaign, we are collaborating with local experts to create a charming destination with sleeping quarters, a beautiful bathroom, and a kitchen in the Stable loft. As with all Landmark projects, all work will follow the highest historic preservation standards to ensure an adaptive reuse that honors the building’s distinct and irreplaceable historic character.
Campaign Progress
Thanks to grant funding and private support, we are over 99% of the way toward our $1.25 million goal! We only have $6,229 left to raise.
We are honored to have received grant support from major federal and state funders including:
The project, “Climate Adaptation for Naulakha, a National Historic Landmark,” is being supported in part by a Save America’s Treasures Grant from the Historic Preservation Fund administered by the National Park Service, Department of the Interior, for $401,274. This grant, only available to sites with national significance, is the most prestigious awarded for bricks and mortar preservation work by the National Park Service. Read more here.
Vermont Housing Conservation Board grants for $147,000.
The 1772 Foundation Historic Properties Redevelopment Programs Grant for $50,000.
Vermont Division for Historic Preservation State Historic Preservation Grant for $20,000.
Preservation Trust of Vermont / The 1772 Foundation Historic Preservation Matching Grant for $10,000.
Check out the coverage of the project and the history of this treasured site in VT Digger as well.
Timeline
Work is being undertaken with consideration to funding opportunities, visitor numbers, and necessary preparation.
The Naulakha Stable project was completed in February 2026. Book your stay today!
The Naulakha roof replacement projects began in May 2026. Our new cedar roofs will be installed in three stages. The Ice House and the Kiplings' "Summer House" gazebo roofs were completed in May 2026. November will see work on the Holbrooks' beautiful pergola roofs. Finally, in March/April of 2027, Naulakha itself will get a brand new cedar roof to match its current historic appearance and be ready for another 30+ years of beauty and protection from the elements.
Work on a comprehensive sitewide drainage solution is ongoing. Required archaeology work on the site was completed in May 2026. Once the archeology report is complete we will be able to put the contract for completing the drainage work out to bid by late Spring.
While timelines are subject to change, we're excited to be moving forward in all areas. But we can’t do it without your support!
“Naulakha is a treasure…it is easy to see why this was one of the two favorite places in the world Rudyard Kipling wanted to live.
The house and grounds are a place of enchantment, and our grandchildren will have memories to last a lifetime.”
— Visitor to Rudyard Kipling’s Naulakha
