Frank Basile's If These Walls Could Tell: Ben Hur Building

Jos Holman takes the stage at Indiana Landmarks on Sunday, March 21, 2027, for a storytelling session titled Frank Basile's If These Walls Could Tell: Ben Hur Building. It's part of the ongoing series from Storytelling Arts of Indiana, and the whole thing runs from 4 PM to 5:30 PM.

Holman is a dynamic storyteller and a former children's librarian—one of those people who knows how to hold a room. He's got a branch of the Tippecanoe County Public Library named after him, and he serves as Treasurer of the Greater Lafayette Chapter of Indiana Black Expo. For this session, he's bringing to life the history of the Ben Hur Building in Crawfordsville.

That building has a story that fits the title. It was commissioned by the Tribe of Ben Hur and designed by Herbert L. Bass & Co. of Indianapolis, opening its doors in 1911. For decades it was known for its white tile façade, which was replaced with black marble in 1940. After years of vacancy and decay, it underwent a $13 million restoration by AP Development LLC that wrapped up in June 2025, and the work earned the 2026 Cook Cup for Outstanding Restoration. Holman's session is about that arc—from the building's opening to its decline and its recent return.

Storytelling Arts of Indiana has been doing this for a long time. They were incorporated in 1987 as Stories, Inc. by Nancy Barton, Ellen Munds, and Bob Sander, and they've brought tellers from all walks of life to Hoosier audiences for more than 30 years, staging over 140 events every year. Their mission is to enrich, connect, and entertain through the art of storytelling, keeping stories of the past alive while giving community members a chance to share their own. This session fits right into that—taking a piece of Indiana's built history and telling it as a story rather than a list of dates. You'll find it at Indiana Landmarks, 1201 Central Avenue, Indianapolis, IN 46202, on Sunday, March 21, from 4 PM to 5:30 PM.