Mount Rushmore

  

Mount Rushmore National Memorial is located near Keystone at 40 km southwest of Rapid City, in the Black Hills of South Dakota.

                Mount Rushmore is a memorial to the growth and development of the United States of America and represents the first 150 years of the history of the United States of America. The sculptured busts of Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln represent the American character.

 The entire memorial covers 5.17 km2 and is 1,745 m above sea level. The massive sculpture was carved into the rim of Mount Rushmore 150 m above the valley floor and each face is 20 m tall.

 It is managed by the National Park Service, a bureau of the United States Department of the Interior. The memorial attracts approximately two million people every year from around the globe.

More About Mount Rushmore National Memorial :

                Initially known to the Lakota Sioux as Six Grandfathers, the mountain was renamed after Charles E. Rushmore, a prominent New York lawyer, during an expedition in 1885. At first, the project of monument Rushmore was undertaken to increase tourism in the Black Hills region of South Dakota. After long negotiations involving a Congressional delegation and President Calvin Coolidge, the project received Congressional approval.

 Historian Doane Robinson conceived the idea for Mount Rushmore in 1923 to promote tourism in South Dakota. In 1924, Robinson convinced sculptor Gutzon Borglum to travel to the Black Hills region to ensure that the carving could be consummate. Borglum had been involved in sculpting the Confederate Memorial Carving, a massive bas relief memorial to Confederate leaders on Stone Mountain in Georgia, but was in discrepancy with the officials there.

               

                Borglum chose Mount Rushmore, a grander location, partly because it faced southeast and enjoyed maximum exposure to the sun. Borglum said upon seeing Mount Rushmore, "America will march along that skyline". Congress approved the Mount Rushmore National Memorial Commission on March 3, 1925. President Coolidge insisted that along with Washington, two Republicans and one Democrat be portrayed.

  

Between October 4, 1927, and October 31, 1941, Gutzon Borglum and 400 workers sculpted the colossal 18 m carvings of U.S. presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln to represent the first 150 years of American history. These presidents were selected by Borglum because of their part in preserving the Republic and expanding its territory.

 In 1933, the National Park Service took Mount Rushmore under its jurisdiction. Engineer Julian Spotts helped with the project by improving its infrastructure. By July 4, 1934, Washington's face had been completed and was dedicated. The face of Thomas Jefferson was dedicated in 1936, the face of Abraham Lincoln was dedicated on September 17, 1937 and in 1939, the face of Theodore Roosevelt was dedicated.

                Borglum died from an embolism in March 1941. His son, Lincoln Borglum, continued the project. The entire project cost near a million of dollars, notably for a project of such size.

On October 15, 1966, Mount Rushmore was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In a canyon behind the carved faces is a chamber, cut only 21 m into the rock, containing a vault with sixteen porcelain enamel panels. The panels include the text of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, biographies of the four presidents and Borglum, and the history of the U.S.

 In 1998, Mount Rushmore National Memorial celebrated the completion of a 10 year, multi million dollar public private partnership project to improve the visitor facilities at the memorial. The project includes a much larger parking facility and the new Lincoln Borglum Museum which features an orientation film and lots of excellent exhibits.

 The Avenue of Flags leads from the Concession Building to the Grandview Terrace. The flags of the 56 states and territories line either side of the walkway. The avenue provides direct and easy access to the Grandview Terrace and Presidential Trail, a half-mile walking trail that offers spectacular views of the mountain sculpture.

 The Memorial offers interpretive programs, exhibits and an orientation film, while Rangers provide interpretive walks and talks, including the Evening Sculpture Lighting Ceremony. The amphitheater is fully accessible via the Avenue of Flags to elevators at the museum.

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