Arson Investigation Launched After Fire Destroys 3D-Printed Benjamin Harrison Statue in Indianapolis

Key facts

• A fire destroyed a life-size statue of Benjamin Harrison at the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site in Indianapolis.
• The blaze was reported around 1:30 a.m. on September 27 in the Neighborway.
• The 5-foot-6 statue had been installed less than two weeks earlier, on September 16 during Constitution Week.
• The statue was made of white polymer and took over 1,200 hours to 3D-print.
• It was a collaboration between the presidential site and the Herron School of Art + Design at Indiana University Indianapolis.
• The statue was valued at $8,500 and is a total loss; only its armature remains.
• The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department arson unit is investigating whether the fire was deliberately set.
• A crowdfunding campaign aims to raise $15,000 to reprint the statue and $50,000 to cast it in bronze.