Moat Garden Magic

Grounds Manager Deb King has been hard at work on recreating Lew's Moat Garden. After filling in the moat, he had a round garden, and we're lucky enough to have pictures of it. Take a look at the original and all the progress Deb has made this year!

Take a Walk in the Garden with Deb King

Grounds Manager Deb King invites you to visit us Sunday, July 14 at 6 p.m. for a Garden Tour.

Learn about her ongoing re-creation of the Moat Garden, the Montgomery County Community Foundation Going Green Grant she was awarded, and how she chooses what plants to grow here.


Discover plants such as ligularia, moonflower, celosia, and more. Come armed with questions. For a preview, check out Deb's 2013 Bloom Report and 2012 Bloom Report on our Facebook page.

Admission is $5. Some potted plants will be available in exchange for a donation to the garden fund.

Please RSVP or call 765-362-5769 to reserve a spot.

Henry Lane Wallace & His Interest in Architecture

In families certain attributes and interests often pass down through the generations. In the Wallace family a number of traits surfaced time and again including an interest in architecture. Lew is widely credited with the design and construction of his personal Study in the 1890s. What is less remembered is that his son, Henry, had a strong interest in architecture and contributed significantly a number of projects. In the 1890s, Henry worked closely with John G. Thurtle the architect who designed the Blancherne, the Wallace apartment building in Indianapolis. Henry oversaw the initial construction of the building for his father as well as the construction of a large addition and was the manager of the building for over 20 years.

Blacherne Building ca. 1915

Closer to home Henry played a critical role in saving two of Crawfordsville’s landmarks and making architectural changes that affected their presentation. After his parents’ deaths in the first decade of the 20th century, Henry inherited the family home on Wabash Avenue, the Study and its grounds. As Crawfordsville grew in the early 20th century, one of the impacts of this growth was increased interurban and rail service on the rail line adjacent to the Study grounds. In addition, Elston Avenue and Plum (Wallace Avenue) Street were developed. In 1909, in an effort to better separate the Study property from these changes, Henry contracted with the Poston Brick Company and Swan & Sons to build the brick walls on the north and west sides of the property. A couple of years later Henry contracted with John H. Warner to build the wall along the east edge of the property.

Brick wall added by Henry in 1909 seen behind Study running along
Elston Avenue and the rail line.

Pedestrian Gate at the foot of Pike Street installed by Henry.

Beyond the construction of the wall itself, Henry was also responsible for the construction of the stone and iron pedestrian gate at the foot of Pike Street and for the purchase and installation of the statue of General Wallace that stands on the west side of the Study on the site of the Ben-Hur beech tree. Henry contracted with local stone mason, Sidney Speed, to detail the stonework for each of these two impressive features. Beyond their architectural impact construction of the walls and gates may also have better protected the property from the public as the fame of Lew Wallace continued to grow. Casual visitors were wandering the property and at different times thousands of people celebrating a Wallace anniversary or Tribe of Ben-Hur meeting came to see the Study so control of access became an issue.

Bronze statue by Andrew O'Connor
with base designed by Sidney Speed.
Installed on site of the Ben-Hur
beech tree.

As part of his inheritance, Henry Wallace had also received his parents’ home on Wabash Avenue. He kept the home for many years even though his primary residence was in Indianapolis. In 1918, his youngest son, William, was killed in action in France during World War I. Perhaps it was no coincidence when Henry sold his parents’ home to the Tribe of Ben-Hur in 1919 and soon completed the final segment of the perimeter wall along the south side of the Study grounds. At the time that the family home was sold, there was some thought that the building would be preserved intact and turned into a museum celebrating the accomplishments of the Tribe of Ben-Hur with a nod to the Wallace family. For different reasons this anticipated project was never pursued.

After his work to improve the Study grounds, Henry was not done with his contributions to Crawfordsville. Henry’s grandparents’ home, the Old Elston Homestead on Pike had passed from his grandparents, Isaac and Maria Elston to his aunt Helen Elston Blair and her husband, Aaron in the 1870s. When their daughter Annie married Harry Taylor in the 1880s, both the Blairs and the Taylors moved to Indianapolis and the Old Elston Homestead was sold to another of Henry’s aunts, Mary Elston Braden and her husband Hector.

During the Braden ownership, the land surrounding the Old Elston Homestead changed. Pike Street was cut through the Elston Grove on the south side of the Homestead and a number of new homes were built along Main Street in the former front yard of the house on the north. The Bradens stopped using the original front entrance and began using a side door off of Vernon Court. Today, this door leads into the dining room of the house. Hector Braden died in 1912, and for several years the future of the Homestead was in doubt. By 1919, it was in poor repair and generally unoccupied. Annie and Harry Taylor tried to sell the house without success in an effort to distribute the estate to the surviving cousins. Looking for a fresh start, Henry Wallace and his wife Margaret purchased the house. This purchase coincided with Henry’s sale of his parents’ home and probably served as a distraction after the death of his son.

Henry put his interest in architecture to use and carried out an extensive remodeling that included reorienting the entrance of the house to the south side as it is today, adding some needed kitchen improvements to the north side and generally upgrading the house and grounds. Until their deaths in the mid-1920s, this served as Henry and Margaret’s primary home. After their passing, their surviving son, Lew Wallace, Jr. used the homestead as a summer home. When he was not in residence, Walter Elliott and Horace Harvey, who were grounds keepers and caretakers of the Wallace properties, were often in residence. This proved particularly true in the early 1930s when Lew, Jr. and his family made fewer and fewer trips down to Indiana from their home in Connecticut.

Elston Homestead ca. 1900 when the front door
opened onto Main Street, prior to the
remodeling by Henry Wallace


 


Elston Homestead during the ownership of Henry Lane Wallace
showing remodeling work underway.

In 1935, exactly 100 years after it was built, Lew, Jr. sold the home to his cousin, Isaac Elson, III. Isaac III made additional repairs and upgrades, building on the work conceived by his Uncle Henry ten years earlier. Isaac owned the homestead for almost 30 years before ownership was transferred to Wabash College.

It’s hard to imagine Crawfordsville without some of the landmarks that we enjoy today. The landscape of the community would certainly be drastically different without the contributions of two amateur architects—Lew Wallace and his son, Henry. Each in their own way built and then preserved buildings that have come to be considered the heart of this community.

Sources: “The Quilt Chronicles” by Martha Cantrell.

“Honoring a Lesser Known Wallace,” Montgomery Magazine, by S. Chandler Lighty, 2001

The General Lew Wallace Study & Museum celebrates and renews belief in the power of the individual spirit to affect American history and culture.

Possible Return of Old Friends?

Red-shouldered Hawk on the nest in 2012

Long-time followers of our blog will remember that last year we had a family of Red-shouldered Hawks nesting on the Study grounds. This week, one of them has made repeat appearances. Tuesday Amanda spotted a hawk flying around, and today Larry, Stephanie, and Deb saw the hawk sitting on one of the picnic tables mid-morning...looking for lunch, perhaps?

Here's hoping the mated pair will return this year to raise a new family!

Fall has hit with a vengeance with temperatures in the hi 70's and temperatures hovering around 45 degrees a day later. Typically unpredictable Indiana weather! The lawn is littered with leaves with only the pin oak and some gingko leaves left on the trees. The lawn mowers are chopping up the leaves and some of the leaves will be used as mulch on the gardens.


daffodils and magnolia blooming in the spring



We have been busy planting spring bulbs. Over 200 bulbs have been planted for an anticipated beautiful spring showing. Mixed giant alliums have been planted in front of the Study, with colors ranging from dark purple to white. Ivory Queen alliums have been planted with the white shrub roses for the last 3 years and make a beautiful showing. Red tulips have been replenished, adding to the 50 or so tulips planted a few years ago. The squirrels love to dig them up and chew on them, leaving half the bulb laying to waste on the ground.

Daffodils, a naturilizing mix, have been planted throughout the grounds. On the natural hillside, near the picnic area, by the Carriage House and in the gardens,  daffodils will be a beacon of color in an otherwise green oasis. Planted on a hillside of Siberian squill (bright blue blooms) the daffodils will provide a splendid photo opportunity. Crocus are being planted, in small groups, throughout the grounds. We are placing wire screening on top of the bulbs to protect them from the hungry squirrels.
 Wintertime blues can be lessened by imagining the bright and magnificent Spring color that is just waiting to burst through the ground.

Fall Colors at the Study

Fall colors are beginning to creep into the leaves here on the Study grounds!

Geocaching on the Study Grounds

Did you know we have a geocache located somewhere on our 3.5 acres?

According to Wikipedia, "[g]eocaching is an outdoor recreational activity in which the participants use a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver or mobile device and other navigational techniques to hide and seek containers, called "geocaches" or "caches", anywhere in the world." Treasures are hidden inside a waterproof box located at a specific location, and vary from place to place.

What treasures are hidden on the Study grounds? Plenty of historical ones, but also some recreational ones as well.

Come test your navigational skills and pick up a new hobby while you're at it!

Growing plants and animals at the Study

Everything is planted and growing in the gardens of the Museum. The gardens are planted and flowers are bursting open every day. I am keeping track of blooming plants on our Facebook page with a 'Bloom Report Photot Album'.

Things are growing in the trees also! We have the pleasure of watching hawks nest and raise triplets this spring! The nesting pair was very patient with our visitors who got too close, only becoming territorial when the young were ready to leave the nest. While walking across the lawn to the best viewing spot of the nest, a hawk decided to 'dive bomb' me and caught my hair with its talons! I sprinted across the lawn, dropping the binoculars, holding onto the camera and never looked back until a safe distance away. what excitement! Later that afternoon, I went back to find the binoculars and watched a baby raccoon on the house across the wall. Screaming and crying for its mother, the raccoon finally was rewarded by mama raccoon racing across the roof and hovering over the young one while they climbed to the ridge line and over to the other side. They crying immediately stopped when mama raccoon appeared. 

Three days later, a baby raccoon was at the base of a large pin oak tree on the front lawn of the Study. Up the tree, approximately 10' was another baby raccoon, and then I noticed another face peering down on me from a hollow section of the trunk. Mama raccoon kept hidden while the babies were trying to climb this large tree. The baby raccoons finally were scurried up the tree to safety. It has been quite a spring, I wonder what the summer will bring?

Gone to the Dogs

Sunday, May 6th saw dogs and owners alike enjoying the beautiful shady grounds of the Study. The Stroll for Strays, a fund raiser for the Animal Welfare League, started and finished the Stroll at the Study. The Study was the starting point, with the stroll following a route through the downtown and back to the Study. Multiple water stops were set up along the route, with treats given out for all dogs. Finishing at the Study, dogs were given 'doggie bags' filled with information, treats and were invited to socialize and play games on the lawn. Over 100 dogs and owners participated. From the large Newfoundland and Great Danes to the small Chihuahuas and pugs, the dogs enjoy a afternoon social in the outdoors.

Everything's blooming

Everything is blooming this spring at the Study. The magnolia trees bloomed April 13th this year, 30 days before they bloomed last year. The lilacs, redbuds and dogwood soon followed. Everything seemed to bloom at once.

The Study has been adopted by a pair of hawks, which started building a nest in February. In previous years, hawks have built nests but they remained unused. It was a wonderful addition to the grounds to realize the hawks were actually nesting! The last week in April we spotted a fuzzy head sticking up above the twigs and have been keeping our eyes on the nest ever since.

Today found that 2 mouths are being fed! The hawk will fly to a tree across the lawn and peruse the hunting grounds. While sitting at our picnic area watching the hawk, and being watched by the hawk, the hawk will fly over the 3.5 acres and return to the tree with a small rodent or bird. The hatchlings seem to have grown tremendously in just a week! We will be keeping a close eye on the nest in hopes to watch the hatchlings take flight.

Wintertime Blues, I Mean Blooms

I am sitting at my desk, which I don't do very often, watching snow flurries out the window. Just 2 days ago, the weather was a balmy 68 degrees and I worked in the gardens. I am getting the gardens all prepped for the long winter with pulling up annuals,cutting back and mulching the perennials. I noticed some lingering color, even though we've had quite a few frosty mornings.

Myrtle, wild violets, Liberty snapdragons, Evolution salvia, Lady in Red salvia, Stella d'Oro daylilies, zinnias, Blue Hawaii ageratum, Harmony and Scarlet Sophia marigolds and chrysanthemums are just some of the flowers still blooming at the Museum. They may be covered in snow shortly or with Indiana's unpredictable weather, basking in warm temperatures again.

Bulbs are being planted and a layer of mulched leaves is being added to the gardens. It's wishful thinking that Spring will be here sooner, rather than later.

Hard hats and helmets

Fall- the time of cool, brisk mornings and quiet evenings. Time to slow down and look at nature and . . . . .don the hard hats, helmets and shoulder pads!

The beautiful colors of fall have arrived with the bright yellow hickory leaves, the orange-gold of the sassafras and the bright red leaves of the dogwood. A virtual artist's palette for a few weeks.

But be on the lookout for the dreaded head knockers! Walnut, hickory and oak trees are causing havoc all over the grounds of the Museum with the falling nuts. Crash, bam, kerplunk, thunk , splat are just a few sounds of the Museum. A visitor walking on the grounds may appear unsteady until you realize they are dodging the walnuts laying all over the ground.

Neighbors, preschoolers, school groups are visiting the grounds and collecting leaves and seeds for class projects. A great time to visit and see the beautiful trees and gardens- but bring your hard hat!

The bloom report

The grounds of the Museum are bursting with plant life and color. Wildflower walks provided visitors with the rust-colored blooms of prairie trillium, pale blue blooms of wild hyacinth, along with bright yellow ragwort. The magnolia trees bloomed for just a short period of time, not liking the 30 degree rise in temperatures. The cool spring exploded with 4 days of mid 80's and the magnolia blossoms suffered. The abundant spring rain also provided a surprise to the wildflower walks. Morel mushrooms, or sponge mushrooms were found growing in a nest of hickory, beech and sassafras leaves. The largest measured just under 6"! It is only the second time in recorded history that morels have been found on the Museum grounds.

The iris are in bloom, colors ranging from a deep midnight purple to a light lavendar/yellow throat. Purple alliums are intermixed with the iris in the Study front garden. Deutzia, with its globe-like white blooms compliment the pale lavendar iris and pink peonies. Nestled in a garden with a birdbath, visitors sit on a garden bench and watch the antics of the house wrens, cardinals and blue jays.

Beauty and the Beast

Ahhh, the joys of Spring.

Green grass, flowering trees, blooming tulips, daffodils and dreaded storms! Overnight the entire Montgomery County area was hit by a series of fast moving storms. The first wave brought straight line winds, hail and moderate rain. The second wave, in the early morning hours, brought torrential downpours with high winds.

The Museum buildings sustained no damage, but the grounds weren't so fortunate. A mature basswood tree was uprooted and toppled, beech trees were decimated, and any weak branch has fallen. The 3.5 acres, normally a dog walker's paradise, is now an obstacle course.

On the bright side, a wonderful fragrance and beautiful blooms can be found in the Study's front garden. The viburnum, with its cluster of blooms, survived the wind, hail and rain. The fragrance can be enjoyed all over the grounds.

Just another typical Spring in Indiana!

Beautiful!!!

Saturday saw ice on the windshields, but that didn't keep volunteers from cleaning up the 3.5 acres of the General Lew Wallace Study and Museum. Over 30 people descended on the Museum to rake, mulch, pick up branches and do general garden work.

Two trailers were filled with leaves and branches and taken to the local compost site for mulching. Volunteers worked hard, then took advantage of the sunshine for some drinks, donuts and a tour of the Study. Pansies and lobelia were planted just in time for the activities on the next two weekends.

Even after working for 2.5 hours, volunteers were still smiling and having fun. After 3 hours, the grounds and gardens are beautiful and ready for the influx of visitors.

Go Butler!!!

Spring Clean

Spring is here, although snow flurries are in the air, and the flowers are starting to emerge.

Daffodils, squill, myrtle and hyacinths are blooming now. The crocus are done for the year and the spring beauty plants are breaking through the ground. Soon violets, trillium and tulips will be blooming. April 2nd is the annual Park Day where an army of volunteers will gather and cleanup the grounds. The leaves will be raked from the gardens, mulch will be spread and the grounds will be prepared for the various activities and programs. Come to visit and join in the fun of Park Day!

Think Green

Top of the morning!

St. Patrick's day find the Museum lawn starting to green up and the siberian squill blooming.

Daffodils are budding and the tulips are sprouting. After a long, ice and snow filled winter, spring cannot come soon enough.

Saturday, April 2nd, is the annual Park Day. In conjunction with Civil War Preservation Trust, Park Day is an opportunity for volunteers to help museum, battlefields, memorials with a variety of jobs. The Museum ground will be cleaned of copious amounts of tree debris, gardens will be raked of their protective layer of leaves, mulch will be spread, perennials and shrubs will be pruned. An army of volunteers will be needed to clean up the 3.5 acres.

Park Day will be held from 9 to 12:30 on Saturday, April 2nd. Bring your rakes and work gloves and join in the fun! Refreshments will be provided to those who participate.

Daffodils!

Anyone on the grounds at the same time as the Grounds Manager will hear an enthusiastic lesson in plant identification as the first sprouts of the season poke above the soil.

Right now they look pretty short and, to the untrained eye (like mine), unrecognizable....

...but soon they'll be beautiful blooming daffodils! We'll also have tulips as spring approaches, and that's just the beginning.

Winter Gardens

The study gardens have been very active this winter. Since the first of December, the icicle gardens have flourished. Every other week, it seems, a winter weather advisory has been issued. The snow and ice have taken over the grounds. An ice storm left 5.5 inches of ice, to be later covered with 6 inches of snow. A drift between the buildings, after snow removal, left ice 7 inches deep, and had to be chipped away layer by layer. Just late week, the ice and snow melted over most of the grounds, leaving piles in the parking areas.

Many varieties of icicles have grown this winter. The padlock freezing icicles, short and fragile, made life difficult getting into the museum. The eaves icicles have taken over the Carriage House, seeming to grow by the hour.

The gigantic furnace vent icicle grew in huge proportions! The constant dripping from the vent created a stalagmite near the basement entrance. Standing approximately 4 feet tall and 5 inches diameter, the icicle grew and grew. Finally last week, the weather turned 50 for 2 days and all the icicles melted.

Another storm is predicted to bring rain, sleet and snow. It great to see that the crocus and daffodils are starting to emerge from the frozen ground. Mother nature at her best!

Found!!!!

The top of a wall has been found during the excavation of the reflecting pond! The archeology students and their helpers have unearthed a portion of the wall, amazingly just 3-4" below ground level. The next step in the process will be to continue digging, unearthing more of the wall and hopefully find the 'floor' or bottom of the pond. It may reveal the answer to some questions: Was the reflecting pond walls torn down or was it filled in with dirt and debris?

The dig may point us in the right direction for an answer.

The dig continues through Sunday, open 10-5. Will more discoveries be made?