Vandals have defaced the H.J. Heinz memorial at Main and 10th streets in Sharpsburg, stripping a plaque off the base of the memorial next to the life-size bronze Guyasuta statue donated by H.J. Heinz himself.

The statue pays tribute to the Seneca chief who is best known as a guide to George Washington and a warrior who hunted in the Sharpsburg area.

Heinz installed the statue at the hub of the town where he started his international food empire from his own kitchen.

Next to the Guyasuta bronze is a marbled monument with sculptures by Vienna-born artist Emil Fuchs paying tribute to Heinz.

Some Sharpsburg Council members have requested that the Port Authority of Allegheny County consider moving a bus stop at the monument to clear the site of loitering.

The plaque at the memorial was stolen several weeks ago and authorities are still investigating, according to Sharpsburg police Chief Leo Rudzki.

"Nothing has turned up from the salvage yards, and I'm hoping it's kids," he said.

Area youths have vandalized the site before, pulling letters off the monument, Rudzki said, but most of those letters have been recovered.

There have been other incidents involving the statue, which is the third such Guyasuta statue at the site.

Although not modeled after Guyasuta, his name has long been associated with the statue.

According to the Smithsonian American Art Museum inventory and a description at the site, Heinz gave the town the original statue, which was part of a large fountain, in 1896.

A car knocked out the original in 1930. A truck in 1983 hit the second statue, which was made from the original mold. Then the third and current statue was installed in 1986.

Although there is no damage to the Indian statue itself, council wants to preserve the focal point of town.

"There's cigarette butts and paper wrappers," Councilwoman Renee Procopio said. "People just leave their stuff there. They hang out there."

While she can't say for sure whether bus riders are responsible for the vandalism, she wants to see the area protected.

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