If These Walls Could Tell: Ben Hur Building featuring Jos Holman

Crawfordsville's Ben-Hur Building dates back to the early 1900s, when the fraternal benefit organization Tribe of Ben-Hur, founded in Crawfordsville and inspired by General Lew Wallace’s bestselling novel "Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ," commissioned a new headquarters to reflect its national prominence. Designed by Herbert L. Bass & Co. of Indianapolis, the building opened in 1911 at Main and Water streets. Over the decades, it served as a hub of civic and commercial activity, housing offices, meeting rooms, retail space, and the organization’s headquarters. A 1940 renovation replaced the original white tile façade with black marble panels. By 2006, the building had fallen vacant, and multiple redevelopment efforts failed to move forward. By 2021, nearly two decades of vacancy had left the building in severe disrepair, with extensive water damage from a failing roof and deterioration throughout the once-grand lobby and interior spaces. AP Development LLC began a comprehensive restoration that preserved historic features while adapting the building for modern use. Completed in June 2025, the project restored key elements including the original corridors, lobby, façade, and hardwood floors, while upgrading all major systems and adding a new accessible entrance. Craftsmen carefully restored the 1911/1940 lobby, including its staircase, lunch counter, revolving door, and elevator, and replicated missing historic elements based on original designs. The project introduced 49 modern apartments and repurposed the historic boardroom as a short-term rental. Indiana Landmarks awarded AP Development LLC the 2026 Cook Cup for Outstanding Restoration for its $13 million transformation of the former Ben-Hur Building into apartments and meeting space, a project that revived one of Crawfordsville's most prominent downtown landmarks.

Event Links

Tickets: https://go.evvnt.com/3782730-0

Website: https://go.evvnt.com/3782730-2

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