Restoration

Naulakha sat abandoned, though fully furnished, from 1942 until the Trust acquired it in 1992. The roof was beginning to leak, a family of raccoons had taken up residence, and the south foundation had collapsed.

Landmark USA's mission was twofold:

• Determine exactly the house that Rudyard Kipling had designed and built for himself;
• and Investigate the repairs necessary to safeguard the house.

Landmark staff researched archives in the US and England for materials relating to the house. We discovered the location of the original blueprints for "Cottage for R. Kipling, Esq." and were able to purchase them along with numerous original photographs. Through very serendipitous circumstances we also discovered in a barn down the road the original entry hall paneling and numerous doors that had been removed after Kipling sold the house; these were donated to the Trust for reinstallation.

The house itself was also extensively studied and the small alterations made after Kipling left were reversed. The Trust returned to the original colors inside and out so that now visitors can experience the house just as Kipling did. And while Rudyard Kipling did not have electricity and some other modern conveniences, Naulakha today is essentially the house he lived in.