LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) — A sword that long adorned a statue of the French general that the city of Lafayette is named after has been stolen.

Tippecanoe County Sheriff’s Lt. Terry Ruley says the sword was reported stolen Wednesday from the marble statue of the Marquis de Lafayette that sits atop a fountain outside the county courthouse.

Ruley says the 3-foot-long stainless steel sword was last seen about a week ago attached to the sculpture, which was erected in 1887.

He tells the (Lafayette) Journal & Courier he hopes the sword is returned, and if that happens it will be bolted more securely to the statue.

The Marquis de Lafayette served with George Washington during the Revolutionary War. Several U.S. cities are named after the French general.