A valuable silver statue of Abraham Lincoln created by Mount Rushmore sculptor John Gutzon de la Mothe Borglum was stolen from Houmas House plantation and later discovered cut into pieces at pawn shops in Metairie. The theft occurred on Sunday, September 7, 2025, when a burglar broke into the historic plantation located between New Orleans and Baton Rouge in rural Ascension Parish.
Kevin Kelly, owner of Houmas House, discovered the theft when he learned that someone had walked onto the plantation property and used a small stone dog statue to smash a window of the 19th-century building. The thief then grabbed the foot-tall Lincoln statue through the broken glass and fled the scene. The sculpture depicted the 16th president sitting pensively on a bench with his stovepipe hat by his side, capturing the weight of history on his shoulders.
The stolen artwork was no ordinary decoration. Created by Borglum, the same artist who carved the presidential faces on Mount Rushmore, the solid silver statue weighed 64 pounds and was estimated to be worth approximately $46,000. Kelly knew that if the thief was an art lover who had kidnapped Lincoln for a private collection, he would likely never see the statue again. However, if the burglar intended to sell it on the black market or for its value as precious metal, there was a chance the criminal might get caught and the statue could be recovered.
The investigation led authorities to several pawn shops in Metairie, where they made the heartbreaking discovery that the irreplaceable artwork had been dismantled. The thieves had cut the historic sculpture into pieces, apparently hoping to sell it for the value of its silver content rather than recognizing its artistic and historical significance.
Houmas House, situated on the Mississippi River, is a popular tourist destination known for its antebellum architecture and historical significance. The plantation has been owned by Kelly, who made his fortune in warehouses and real estate in New Orleans after buying his first warehouse in 1983. The theft represents not only a significant financial loss but also the destruction of an irreplaceable piece of American art history created by one of the nation's most renowned sculptors.
