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World desk2 min

Benjamin Harrison Statue Destroyed by Fire; Arson Investigation Underway

A fire destroyed the 3D-printed Benjamin Harrison statue in Indianapolis 11 days after installation. Police were investigating suspected arson; no cause or suspect had been announced as of October 3, 2026.
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A newly installed, life-size 3D-printed statue of President Benjamin Harrison was destroyed by fire at the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site in Indianapolis on September 27, 2026. Police were investigating suspected arson as of October 3; authorities had not announced a cause or identified a suspect.

What happened to the Benjamin Harrison statue?

The statue was installed on September 16, 2026, during Constitution Week. Around 1:30 a.m. on September 27, a fire was reported at the site. Firefighters responded, but the sculpture could not be saved. Staff later found its remaining armature and a burn spot. The site contacted police, and the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department’s arson unit opened an investigation. Reports as of October 3 did not establish a final cause or announce a suspect.

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Charles Hyde, president and CEO of the Presidential Site, called the destruction “a senseless act of vandalism.” He told The Indiana Citizen, “It’s an investigation right now.”

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Why is arson suspected?

Hyde said the material used to print the statue was fire-resistant and that, based on what the site had seen and heard, “arson would be the only explanation” because the material had no reason to combust on its own. That is Hyde’s assessment, not a published finding by investigators. The cause remains under investigation; it would be premature to describe arson as confirmed or to attribute the fire to a particular person.

What was the statue, and who made it?

The 5-foot-6-inch sculpture depicted Harrison, the 23rd U.S. president, striding with a hat in one hand and papers in the other, his coat over an arm. Made from white polymer through 3D printing, it was created in collaboration between students and faculty at Indiana University Indianapolis’s Herron School of Art + Design and the Presidential Site. The printing took more than 1,200 hours, according to Smithsonian Magazine and The Indiana Citizen.

The Indiana Citizen characterized it as the first prominent outdoor public artwork produced with a 3D printer using polymer. The statue was also intended as the first in a continuing, roughly annual public-art collaboration drawing on the site’s collection.

Could the statue be rebuilt?

The site was reported to be considering two options. The figures below are reported targets or possibilities, not confirmed final costs or completed decisions.

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Option Reported amount What it would mean
Reprint the design $15,000 target reported by Smithsonian Magazine and Urban Times Recreate the polymer sculpture; project files were retained by the students and faculty, according to reporting.
Cast the design in bronze $50,000 possible target reported by Smithsonian Magazine and Urban Times A possible route to a more durable, permanent installation; this was not a verified foundry quote or a confirmed procurement decision.

Smithsonian Magazine reported the destroyed sculpture’s estimated value as $8,500. That estimate is distinct from either rebuilding target and is not an independently audited cost. Reporting also described a donation campaign to support rebuilding; it did not establish that fundraising had concluded or that a replacement was complete.

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What comes next?

The Presidential Site’s planned public-art collaboration was expected to continue, with the next project reportedly underway and inspired by the art of Caroline Harrison. That project is separate from whether or how the destroyed statue will be reconstructed. As of October 3, reporting had not confirmed a replacement method, completed reconstruction, or a final investigative finding.

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