San Francisco Couple Discovers 150-Pound Limestone Sculpture Buried in Backyard

A Russian Hill couple’s yard work in May led to an unexpected archaeological discovery when they unearthed a 150-pound limestone sculpture that had been hidden beneath their property for decades. Greg Gatwood was excavating when he initially mistook the object for concrete, but his efforts with a pickaxe soon revealed facial features carved into the stone. The two-foot-wide sculpture prompted immediate investigation into its origins and creator.

Gatwood’s partner, Judy Gittelsohn, expressed shock upon seeing the finished piece, struck by both its size and the quality of its artistic execution. Gittelsohn, who works as a professional artist, began researching the sculpture and determined it likely originated in the 1930s, potentially connected to artists employed under the Works Progress Administration. The couple’s proximity to the former San Francisco Art Institute, where prominent sculptor Ralph Stackpole taught for many years, suggested a possible link to his studio or apprentices.

The choice of inexpensive limestone over costlier materials like marble or granite further supports Gittelsohn’s theory about the sculpture’s provenance and timeline. Gatwood speculated the piece may have served as garden art before gradually becoming buried as decades passed. A 93-year-old woman visited their home unsolicited after news of the discovery spread locally, claiming she had previously curated an exhibition featuring Stackpole’s work.

The couple plans to display the sculpture at the American Messenger Gallery in September in hopes of identifying its creator. Gatwood expressed confidence that public exposure would eventually reveal the statue’s history and artist. Their discovery echoes a similar 2023 incident when a New Orleans couple found an ancient Roman funerary artifact that had disappeared from an Italian museum.