The Brooks House | Rudyard Kipling

About

Rudyard Kipling was one of the best known writers in the world at the beginning of the 20th century. He had an extraordinary rise to fame, writing a prolific amount of short stories, novels and poetry. In 1907 he won the Nobel Prize in Literature, the youngest writer ever to do so, and the first to win with works in the English language. He married an American Caroline Balestier, the sister of his London agent Wolcott Balestier, just after Wolcott died suddenly. The couple came to Brattleboro in 1892 and built Naulakha, a home you can visit and actually stay at today just on the Brattleboro border with Dummerston north of town. Kipling and his family left Brattleboro after a scandal and public court case involving Caroline's brother, Beatty Balestier, but not before he wrote The Jungle Book, Captains Courageous, Just So Stories and started his masterpiece, Kim. Kipling frequently drove in his carriage to the pub in the Brooks House where he'd speak with townspeople and meet with other authors including Sir Arthur Conan Doyle of Sherlock Holmes' fame.

Locations related to Kipling

There are several locations that are particularly relevant to Kipling in this area. Naulakha, the home he built here, is owned and managed by Landmark Trust USA and may be occupied. Please contact them before attempting to visit as it is trespassing.

There is a state historical marker on the corner of Rte 5 and Black Mountain Road.

Brooks House in Downtown Brattleboro was a favorite spot for many writers throughout the years.

Research & Production

Audio Production/Editing: Sally Seymour
Narration/Interviewee: Charles Fish
Recording/Research: Elissa Pine
Voice of Kipling: Jackson Gillam

Ongoing Development and Involvement:
As a community-created project, we encourage ongoing dialogue, questions, and engagement. If you would like to be involved in future developments, have information or a perspective that could deepen others' understanding of this topic, please please ontact us.