General Lew Wallace Study
Gen. Lew Wallace Study | |
Location | 200 Wallace Ave., Crawfordsville, Indiana, United States |
---|---|
Coordinates | 40°2′26″N 86°53′40″W / 40.04056°N 86.89444°W |
Built | 1895 |
Architect | Wallace, Gen. Lew |
Architectural style | Greek Revival, Other, Romanesque |
Part of | Elston Grove Historic District (ID92000187) |
NRHP reference No. | 76000013 |
Significant dates | |
Added to NRHP | May 11, 1976[1] |
Designated NHL | May 11, 1976[2] |
Designated CP | March 25, 1992 |
The General Lew Wallace Study & Museum, formerly known as the Ben-Hur Museum, is located in Crawfordsville, Indiana. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1976,[2] and in 2008 was awarded a National Medal from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services. It is located in the Elston Grove Historic District. The museum is associated with the life of Lew Wallace and his 1880 novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ. The study, designed by Wallace, and accompanying carriage house are the only structures pertaining to Lew Wallace that have retained historical integrity. Both of these buildings now make up the museum and exhibit many of the artifacts that Wallace used during his lifetime, as well as many objects pertaining to his literary legacy.[3] Guided tours of the study are available for a small admission fee; the Carriage House Interpretive Center and grounds are open to the public free of charge.
History
Lew Wallace is most famous for his military service and his novel
In the postwar years, he began seriously writing, publishing his first novel in 1873. In 1880 he published
Wallace was said to have built the study because he wanted "a pleasure-house for my soul," that would be "a detached room away from the world and its worries."[6] Wallace died in his home on February 15, 1905.[7] Upon his death, his family allowed the public to tour his study. In 1941 the city of Crawfordsville was given the property by a local civic organization, which purchased the property to donate it to the city.[8]
Wallace's former house was mostly razed, with only its dining room, living room, and floored central hall remaining as part of a modern ranch-style house; it is not part of the National Register designation.[3]
The carriage house opened in 2006 as the Carriage House Interpretive Center, and is now the launching point for visitor experiences. Formerly used by the
Architecture
The study took three years to finish, from 1895 to 1898, and cost $25,000–$30,000 to build. Wallace built the eclectic structure with influence from
Today
When the city of Crawfordsville acquired the structure, it became known as the Ben-Hur Museum; it is officially called the General Lew Wallace Study & Museum. It still exhibits many of the 1,200 books Wallace owned. The furniture in the study is original, including the chair that Wallace used when writing his masterwork, Ben-Hur (which he completed long before building the study). Among the other artifacts in the collection are his military uniforms, artwork, musical instruments, and the fishing rod he invented. Art includes the portrait of the daughter of the sultan of Turkey, which he gave to Wallace in 1885.[6] The annual exhibits in the Carriage House Interpretive Center highlight different facets of Wallace as a Renaissance man; previous exhibits include Collective Influence: The Wallace Women, Lew Wallace - Gentleman Scientist, and Embattled: General Wallace's Leadership in the Civil War. The 3.5 acres (14,000 m2) of land on which the study sits is a public park, and many use it as a place to picnic, walk dogs, and take family photographs amid the flower beds. In recent years it has seen increased use from geo-cachers searching for a cache on site.
Guided tours of the study are available for a small admission fee; the Carriage House Interpretive Center and grounds are open to the public free of charge.
Notes
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
- ^ a b "General Lew Wallace Study". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Archived from the original on June 5, 2011. Retrieved May 9, 2009.
- ^ a b c Adams Sec. 7, p. 1
- ^ Adams Sec. 8. pp. 1, 5
- ^ "Ben-Hur: The Book That Shook the World" Archived 2015-10-15 at the Wayback Machine, Humanities, November/December 2009 Volume 30, Number 6, Accessed 2010-04-20
- ^ a b Wolfsie p. 288
- ^ Adams Sec. 8, p. 6
- ^ a b Adams Sec. 7, p. 2
- ^ "Indiana State Historic Architectural and Archaeological Research Database (SHAARD)" (Searchable database). Department of Natural Resources, Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology. Retrieved May 1, 2016. Note: This includes George R. Adams and Ralph Christian (December 1975). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: General Lew Wallace Study" (PDF). Retrieved May 1, 2016. and Accompanying photographs.
References
- Adams, George R.; Ralph Christian (1975). Wallace, Gen. Lew, Study NRHP Nomination Form. American Assoc. for State and Local History.
- Wolfsie, Dick (2006). Indiana Curiosities: Quirky Characters, Roadside Oddities, and Other Offbeat Stuff. Globe Pequot. ISBN 0-7627-4113-9.