Shakespeare’s Birthplace America A House for All Time — Hall’s Croft
Thanksgiving & Giving Tuesday Appeal

Help Save Shakespeare’s Family Home — A House for All Time

This Thanksgiving and Giving Tuesday, we’re inviting friends across the United States to help save Hall’s Croft — the Jacobean home of Susanna Shakespeare and Dr. John Hall. Phase 2 of the conservation program will cost $3,000,000, with an urgent first target of $650,000 to secure and stabilize the front of the house.

Make a US Tax-Deductible Gift Adopt a Beam

Gifts via Shakespeare’s Birthplace America are intended to be tax-deductible in the US.

“You can symbolically support the very timbers and plasterwork that have held this house together for hundreds of years.”

— Ken Ludwig, Playwright & Supporter of Hall’s Croft

About Hall’s Croft

Hall’s Croft is one of the most personal connections we have to Shakespeare. It’s not a theatre, it’s not a museum — it’s a home. When you walk inside, you are suddenly closer to Shakespeare the father, the friend, the man — and not just the playwright. You feel the spirit of the England he knew, in the very town where he was born and where he returned at the end of his life.

Today, the building is a fragile treasure. A recent vehicle impact exposed hidden structural weaknesses. Insurance covers immediate repairs — but not the deeper conservation that was already urgently needed.

Why Now?

  • The impact revealed deeper structural weaknesses.
  • Insurance covers only visible damage, not long-term conservation.
  • Traditional craftspeople must stabilise the timber frame and infill.
  • Phase 2 is a $3,000,000 program; $650,000 is urgently needed first.
Your donation helps secure the house for the next 400 years.

Adopt a Beam — Own a Piece of Shakespeare’s World

This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. A small number of donors will not only help save Hall’s Croft — they will receive a small, ethically salvaged fragment of original timber from the house itself. Imagine holding a piece of wood Shakespeare knew — from a home where he spent time with his daughter.

$6,500 and above
Founder’s Circle

Symbolically adopt a principal beam. Eligible to receive a mounted, numbered timber fragment with a certificate of authenticity, plus event invitations and optional recognition.

$2,500+
Conservators’ Circle

Support major structural repairs. Eligible for a Hall’s Croft timber keepsake or limited-edition print.

$1,500+
Timber & Plaster Patron

Support interior beams, plaster panels, and essential breathing materials. Includes illustrated certificate.

$650+
Hall’s Croft Supporter

Join the beam-by-beam restoration effort. Includes personalised certificate and optional recognition.

Questions

Is my gift tax-deductible?

Gifts via SBA are intended to be tax-deductible in the United States, subject to IRS regulations.

Why doesn’t insurance cover everything?

Insurance repairs only the immediate damage — not the deeper structural conservation required after the impact.

How will my donation be used?

All gifts designated for Hall’s Croft are restricted to this project: specialist timber, plaster, and structural conservation.

Why Hall’s Croft?

It is one of the few places where we can understand Shakespeare not just as a playwright but as a father, friend, and member of a family. Saving it is an act of cultural stewardship.

About Shakespeare’s Birthplace America

Shakespeare's Birthplace America Inc. (SBA) was established in 2014 to promote and preserve the cultural and educational legacy of William Shakespeare in the United States. A registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, SBA supports conservation, learning, and heritage outreach in partnership with the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.

Our Board

Peter Kyle CBE (President)
Peter Kyle has served as Chief Executive of Shakespeare’s Globe and The Scottish Ballet, Chair of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, and is currently Chair of the John Ellerman Foundation, Trustee of the Noel Coward Foundation, and Governor of the English National Ballet School.

Jeff Marlow (Director)
Actor, educator, and longtime member of the Reduced Shakespeare Company. Holds a Master's degree from the Shakespeare Institute in Stratford-upon-Avon.

Diane Meyer Lowman (Director)
Writer and public speaker, author of The Undiscovered Country, with a Master’s degree from the Shakespeare Institute. Her work blends literature, mindfulness, and education.