Mount Rushmore

Mount Rushmore, located 23 miles southwest of Rapid City, South Dakota, was originally named after Charles E. Rushmore, a New York lawyer investigating mining claims in the Black Hills in 1885. Sculptor Gutzon Borglum chose this mountain due to its height (5700' above sea level), the soft grainy consistency of the granite, and the fact that it catches the sun for the greatest part of the day. Borglum also decided the sculpture should have a more national focus and chose the four presidents whose likenesses would be carved into the mountain. After securing federal funding, construction on the memorial began in 1927, and the presidents' faces were completed between 1934 and 1939. Upon Gutzon Borglum's death in March 1941, his son Lincoln Borglum took over construction. Although the initial concept called for each president to be depicted from head to waist, lack of funding forced construction to end in October 1941. The presidents were selected on the basis of what each symbolized. George Washington represents the struggle for independence; Thomas Jefferson the idea of government by the people; Abraham Lincoln for his ideas on equality and the permanent union of the states; and Theodore Roosevelt for the role of the United States in 20th century world affairs. The carving of Mount Rushmore actually began on August 10, 1927, and spanned a length of 14 years. Only about six and a half years were spent actually carving the mountain, with the rest of the time being spent on weather delays and Borglum's greatest enemy - the lack of funding. The total cost of the project was $900,000. Work continued on the project until Borglum's death in 1941. No carving has been done on the mountain since that time and none is planned in the future. The granite faces of four American presidents are scaled to men who would stand 465 feet tall. President Calvin Coolidge presided at the dedication of the project in 1927.