The organisation, which looks after the Old Cromwell Town historic precinct, appealed to the public this week for donations of the old nails, which are needed for the restoration of historic buildings.
Manager Elisabeth Williamson said there had been a huge response from the public following an Otago Daily Times article highlighting Old Cromwell Inc's plight, published on Tuesday.
People from as far as Dunedin, Milton, Makarora, and Arrowtown had contacted her wanting to know where to send their lead-head nails, Mrs Williamson said.
"My phone has been ringing off the hook at work and at home, Breen Construction has been getting calls, people have emailed me, and others have simply dropped boxes of the nails off at Old Cromwell Town," she said.
A lead-head nail maker had also been offered for use to Old Cromwell Inc by the Goldfields Mining Centre in the Kawarau Gorge, she said.
"The response has been amazing. I am so grateful to everyone who has given us their old nails, most of which were found in sheds after having been left over from building projects as far back as 50 years ago.
"The Northern Southland Trucking Company has also offered to deliver any lead-head nails dropped off at its Dunedin depot to Cromwell for us," she said.
Businesses in Alexandra had also contacted local radio stations offering the nails, she said.
Lead-head nails, which are no longer commercially manufactured, will be used with old tin to clad walls and roofs of buildings in the precinct.
Preparation for restoration work began about three weeks ago.
Old Cromwell Inc is in the process of applying for resource consent to undertake further restoration in the precinct following work on Wishart's Smithy, which Mrs Williamson hoped would be finished within six months.
Its restoration is part of the next stage of Old Cromwell Town's development, for which almost $1.2 million was granted to Old Cromwell Inc by various charitable organisations earlier this year.
