Rudyard Kipling’s Naulakha
Rudyard Kipling’s Naulakha
Dummerston, Vermont
Sleeps 8 (4 bedrooms) · 3 full baths · 3-night minimum · Starting at $575/night, $3,450/week
A National Historic Landmark, Naulakha was built for Rudyard Kipling in 1892. Much of Kipling’s original furniture remains, which means that guests can sit at the very desk where the famed author wrote The Jungle Book, Captains Courageous, and portions of the Just So Stories.
Naulakha sits at the top of a tree-lined driveway, just off a quiet country road that is nevertheless just 10 minutes from the shops, restaurants, brew pubs, and arts venues of Brattleboro, Vermont, winner of the 2023 Strong Towns Strongest Town contest. This fully furnished three-story house is ideal for family reunions and retreats.
All of our properties include WiFi.
Add a Local Treat Basket for family retreats or working vacations at Naulakha! Real maple syrup, local apple pie, and more.
Features
The first floor includes a gas log fireplace, a dining room, an office, a library, a sitting room, and a fully equipped kitchen with a dishwasher, microwave, breakfast nook, and place settings for 12. There is a washer and dryer in the basement.
The second floor features four bedrooms (sleeping up to eight people), including one bedroom with one double bed and three bedrooms with twin beds. The three full baths are fully furnished with high-quality linens and towels.
On the third floor, you will find a game room with a pool table and a private mini-museum with original furniture and artifacts belonging to the Kiplings.
Naulakha’s extensive grounds offer entertainments in every season. Guests will find gardens, a pergola, a rhododendron tunnel, Kipling’s original clay tennis court (probably the first tennis court built in Vermont, available for play from mid-June through October), and on-site or nearby sledding, snowshoeing, hiking, and cross-country ski trails.
Half a mile down the road is the 571-acre Scott Farm, a socially responsible business (Certified B Corporation) that is also a property of The Landmark Trust USA. During the fall, visitors can sample 130+ varieties of ecologically grown heirloom apples, from Blue Pearmain (one of Thoreau’s favorites) to Esopus Spitzenburg (beloved by Thomas Jefferson). Pick your own apples or visit the Market to pick up a pie, a jar of freshly pressed cider, or Scott Farm’s apples, pears, plums, grapes, and quince. Located on the farm are stunning stone walls constructed by the expert builders at The Stone Trust, a nonprofit organization whose offices are at Scott Farm and whose mission is to preserve and advance the art and craft of dry stone walling.
Rates:
Jan. 2 - April 30: $575/night (three night minimum), $3,450/week
May 1 - Jan. 1: $635/night (three night minimum), $3,810/week
Monthly rates available on request.
All rates are inclusive of taxes and fees.
Last Minute Special: All new reservations made for stays that take place within one week of the time of booking will receive an automatic 10% discount applied during the reservation process.
Pet Policy: In order to provide a safe and allergen free experience to all our guests, this property does not allow pets. Our Amos Brown House and The Sugarhouse properties are dog friendly and allow up to 2 dogs.
For any questions regarding Naulakha's accommodations or configuration, please email info@landmarktrustusa.org or call (802) 254-6868.
Kipling’s History
Born in Bombay, India, Kipling spent much of his life in England, but he described his years in Vermont with great fondness. A family dispute forced Kipling to abandon Naulakha in 1896. “There are only two places in the world where I want to live,” he wrote, “Bombay and Brattleboro. And I can’t live in either.”
Kipling won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1907. He was one of England’s most popular writers in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In 2019, Christopher Benfey published If: The Untold Story of Kipling’s American Years, a new look at the author’s influence and import.
In his autobiography Something of Myself, Kipling wrote of Naulakha, “Ninety feet was the length of it and thirty the width, on a high foundation of solid mortared rocks which gave us an airy and a skunk-proof basement. The rest was wood, shingled, roof and sides, with dull green hand-split shingles, and the windows were lavish and wide.”
The property’s National Historic Landmark nomination includes the following description:
“Reflecting the eclectic background of its original owner and builder, the celebrated British author Rudyard Kipling, Naulakha is an unusual example of the Shingle Style. The house exhibits elements of Indian bungalow in the broad eaves, Kashmir houseboat with an elaborate carved screen, and Mississippi riverboat in the overall shape. Described, indeed, as a ship by Kipling, Naulakha continues to ‘sail’ across a Dummerston, Vermont hillside and command spectacular easterly views over a sloping meadow to the Connecticut River valley and the mountains of New Hampshire.”
Testimonials from Naulakha Guests
“What a fabulous holiday! The house is exquisitely restored–all the details fascinating. The kitchen is so perfectly equipped. The porch was an oasis of peaceful beauty. Last night we had our dessert out there and watched fireworks off in the distance erupting in the sky.” (July 2016)
“It is fascinating to visit the houses of writers and artists, but all you usually get is an hour’s tour with an absolute prohibition ‘not to touch.’ How wonderful then to sit at Mr. Kipling’s desk and soak in his bath.”
“Naulakha is a treasure, and after five nights, 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.” (Jan. 2017)
“This was absolutely incredible! We would love to come back again. The work done to preserve this place with all of its period details is very much appreciated. The views, the snowshoeing, spending time in Rudyard’s study, just talking–thank you, thank you!” (Feb. 2017)
“Thank you so very much for a simply perfect setting for a family gathering. Rudyard Kipling has come alive for me. This is the way literature should be taught: by immersion into a writer’s creative space.” (Feb. 2024)
“After nine visits this is still a paradise for the body, the soul and the mind. Thank you, Landmark Trust USA.”
“In spite of its large size, Naulakha is so very warm and inviting. It was a chance for my family to be in one place, all together, which does not happen often enough. It was such fun to watch my 8-year-old grandson's expression when he arrived. He loved the house! Every turn he made offered something new to see. And so much to explore outside!” (Nov. 2016)