Naulakha (Rudyard Kipling House) facts for kids
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Naulakha (Rudyard Kipling House)
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Naulakha in 2014
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 Location in Vermont
Location in the United States
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| Location | Off U.S. 5, Dummerston, Vermont |
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| Area | 11 acres (4.5 ha) |
| Built | 1892 |
| Architect | Henry Rutgers Marshall |
| Architectural style | Shingle Style |
| NRHP reference No. | 79000231 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | April 11, 1979 |
| Designated NHL | November 4, 1993 |
Naulakha, also known as the Rudyard Kipling House, is a special historic home in Dummerston, Vermont. It's built in a style called Shingle Style. This house was named a National Historic Landmark in 1993. It's famous because the well-known author Rudyard Kipling (1865–1936) had it built and lived there.
Kipling lived in Naulakha from 1893 to 1896. During this time, he wrote many of his famous books. These include Captains Courageous, The Jungle Book, The Day's Work, and The Seven Seas. He also started working on Kim and The Just So Stories. Kipling named his house after the Naulakha Pavilion in Lahore Fort, India. Today, the Landmark Trust owns the house, and people can even rent it for a stay.
Contents
What is Naulakha?
The Story Behind the Name
Rudyard Kipling named his house "Naulakha" after a book he wrote. This book was co-written with his good friend and brother-in-law, Wolcott Balestier. The book was about a very valuable Indian jewel. The house itself is filled with many items that belonged to Kipling and his family.
The word "Naulakha" comes from an old Indian language. It means "nine lakhs," which is a very large number, like nine hundred thousand. This name was inspired by the cost of building a famous monument in India. Kipling had seen this beautiful Mughal architecture during his travels in Lahore between 1882 and 1887.
Building Kipling's Home
Kipling himself wrote about how Naulakha was built. In the summer of 1893, a group of builders came from Quebec. They quickly put up a small shed for themselves. Then, they started building the main house, which Kipling called 'Naulakha'.
The house was quite long, about 90 feet, and 30 feet wide. It was built on a strong foundation of stone. The rest of the house was made of wood. It had a roof and sides covered with dull green wooden shingles. Kipling made sure the house had many large windows. He also mentioned a big open attic.
A Unique Design
Naulakha is a very special house because of its design. It mixes different styles. It looks a bit like a traditional Indian bungalow. But it was also built in the popular American Shingle Style of the time.
Kipling designed the house and its land to give his family lots of privacy. Even though it has amazing views of the Connecticut River and Mount Monadnock, the house had only one entrance. It was also just one room deep, with a hallway along the back. A tree-lined driveway leads to the house from an iron gate. Kipling watched as the stone pillars for this gate were built. The property also has other buildings, like a greenhouse, a barn for carriages, and a tennis court.
Life at Naulakha
Rudyard Kipling and his wife, Caroline, visited her parents in nearby Brattleboro in 1892. They were on their honeymoon and loved the countryside. So, they bought this land from Caroline's brother. The house was built in 1893. Henry Rutgers Marshall designed it, but Kipling had many ideas for the house too.
In 1894, another famous author, Arthur Conan Doyle, visited Kipling at Naulakha. They even played golf together! The Kiplings lived happily in the house for a few years.
Why Kipling Left
The Kiplings lived in Naulakha until 1896. A disagreement with a neighbor, who was also his wife's brother, caused some trouble. This situation led to some unwanted attention in the news. Because of this, the Kiplings decided to leave Vermont.
They tried to come back in 1899. However, Kipling became sick during their sea journey from England. So, they could not return to Naulakha.
Naulakha Today
For much of the 1900s, the Holbrook family owned the house. In 1992, they sold it to the Landmark Trust. This organization works to save historic buildings. They restore them and make them available for people to visit or even rent.
Naulakha has been mostly restored to look like it did when the Kiplings lived there. It even has some original items that belonged to the family. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. It was then named a National Historic Landmark in 1993.
Images for kids
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The house has a library of Kipling's books. Some were owned by him when he lived here.
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This is Kipling's original desk. He is said to have written The Jungle Book and other works here.
