The Indiana in the Civil War Message Board

Fire razes "Ben Hur" author's home (Lew Wallace)

The Crawfordsville County Club, a landmark that once served as "Ben Hur" author Lew Wallace's summer home, burned to the ground on December 24, 2005.

Wallace's home, built in the 1890's, was a retreat for the author until he died in 1905. In 1906, it was converted into the country club. This is a significant loss for the community and a historical loss as well.

Lew Wallace is best known for authoring the 1880 best-seller "Ben Hur", but is also remembered as a military hero. The son of David Wallace, Indiana's sixth governor, he was a soldier in the Mexican War and the Union Army's youngest major general during the Civil War.

Wallace also patented devices used in railroading, painted, sketched, made violins, fished, hunted, and gave speeches. To learn more, go to ben-hur.com or visit the Gen. Lew Wallace Study and Museum in Crawfordsville, Indiana.