Contact Information
Phone: 765-362-5769
Mailing Address:
General Lew Wallace Study & Museum
P.O. Box 662
Crawfordsville, IN 47933
Physical Address:
General Lew Wallace Study & Museum
200 Wallace Avenue
Crawfordsville, IN 47933
Contact Museum Staff
Larry Paarlberg, Director
Larry Paarlberg joined the museum staff as Executive Director in 2009. He is a native of Oxford, Indiana, who grew up in West Lafayette. His family has been in Indiana since the 1830s. He graduated from Purdue with a BA in History and attended the Ohio State University, graduating with a Masters in Architectural Preservation.
He moved to Florida in 1982 to work for the Florida Department of State in the Bureau of Historic Preservation, intending to stay only one year. Plans changed and he ended up working for the State from 1982 to 1987. He accepted a job with the Historic Tallahassee Preservation Board from 1987-1992 to manage the restoration of the historic Knott House Museum on behalf of the State. With the completion of the Knott House, he accepted a job as Executive Director at Goodwood Museum & Gardens from 1992-2009.
Larry is married to Fran, a fifth-generation Floridian; their one child, Andrew, is a sixth-generation Floridian.
Please direct all historical inquiries and donation/membership inquiries to Larry Paarlberg at lpaarlberg@ben-hur.com.
Thomas Meeks, Associate Director
In 2023, Thomas joined our museum team, assuming the role of Associate Director. Originally hailing from the northwest suburbs of Chicago, he later relocated to West Lafayette, Indiana, to pursue his education at Purdue University, where he earned a BA in History in 2018. Prior to taking on the responsibilities of Associate Director, Thomas worked as the Collections Manager at the Carnegie Museum of Montgomery County. Thomas also serves on the Historic Preservation Commission for the City of Crawfordsville. Thomas can be reached at tmeeks@ben-hur.com.
Deb King, Grounds Manager
Deb has an Associate of Science in Conservation Park Management. Please direct all inquiries about grounds rentals, weddings, and gardens to Deb King at dking@ben-hur.com.