Preserving the General's retreat

5/17/2012

Workers restored the building's stucco foundation, scored to resemble dressed stone.

When contractors cut into a section of damaged stucco at the General Lew Wallace Study & Museum in Crawfordsville, water came pouring out of the foundation wall – an alarming indication of just how much damage water infiltration was causing at the National Historic Landmark.

Fast forward to this spring, when workers wrapped up restoration at the site, capping off three years of planning and two years of work to repair damaged terraces, walls, and the decorative stucco foundation tooled and scored to resemble dressed stone.

The 1898 building also received new copper on its unusual domed roof, and underwent an interior paint analysis that revealed wonderful decorative stenciling and painted ornament hidden under layers of off-white paint.

The General Lew Wallace Study & Museum secured grants from various local, state and regional sources, including Indiana Landmarks’ Endangered Places Fund, to pay for the projects. Staff also recently completed a Historic Structures Report–a document that will guide ongoing restoration at the landmark. The next phase will focus on interior restoration, including replicating the historic polychrome paint scheme.

The Lew Wallace Study is open for tours Tuesdays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. To learn more about the museum, visit www.ben-hur.com.

Find more information about Indiana Landmarks’ Endangered Places Fund grant program online at http://www.indianalandmarks.org/Resources/Pages/GrantsLoans.