Construction of Mount Rushmore facts for kids
Mount Rushmore National Memorial is a huge sculpture carved into the side of a mountain in South Dakota. It features the faces of four important American presidents: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt. Building this amazing monument took 14 years, from 1927 to 1941. It was a massive project that involved many skilled workers and a lot of planning.
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Planning the Monument
The idea for a monument in South Dakota came from Doane Robinson of the South Dakota Historical Society. He wanted to attract more tourists to the state and help its economy. In 1923, he suggested carving a monument into the granite cliffs of the Black Hills.
Senator Peter Norbeck of South Dakota liked the idea. He helped get money from the government to start the project. Robinson then asked a famous architect and sculptor named Gutzon Borglum to design and create the monument.
Borglum chose Mount Rushmore as the perfect spot. It was strong and seemed like the easiest mountain to work on.
Choosing the Presidents
After picking the location, Borglum decided to sculpt four presidents. He chose George Washington and Abraham Lincoln because they were two of the most famous leaders in American history.
He picked Thomas Jefferson because Jefferson bought a huge amount of land in 1803. This land, called the Louisiana Purchase, almost doubled the size of the United States. South Dakota was part of this purchase.
The last president Borglum chose was Theodore Roosevelt. President Calvin Coolidge suggested Roosevelt. He wanted to make sure both major political parties were represented. Theodore Roosevelt was chosen because he helped create the National Park Service.
Original Design Changes
Borglum first planned to sculpt each president from the waist up. However, there wasn't enough time or money to do this. So, they decided to carve only their heads.
Ivan Houser was Borglum's assistant sculptor for seven years. He helped a lot in the early stages of the carving. Later, Borglum's son, Lincoln Borglum, took over as the assistant sculptor.
Building the Monument
Hundreds of workers helped build Mount Rushmore. Many of them were miners, sculptors, or rock climbers. They used powerful tools like dynamite, jackhammers, and chisels to shape the mountain.
To reach the high parts of the mountain, workers built a stairway to the top. From there, they fixed ropes. Workers wore special harnesses attached to these ropes to keep them safe while they carved.
The eyes of the presidents were sculpted in a clever way. They carved holes for the irises. Then, they left a small cube of granite in each eye. This cube looked like a reflection, making the eyes appear more real.
Construction officially started on October 4, 1927. In 1935, Borglum chose an Italian immigrant named Luigi Del Bianco to be the chief carver.
George Washington's Face
The face of George Washington was the first one started. The Great Depression made money tight across the United States. Because of this, it took seven years to finish Washington's head.
It was finally completed and shown to the public on Independence Day in 1934. A large American flag was placed over Washington's head before it was revealed. This became a special tradition for each president's head.
Thomas Jefferson's Face
Thomas Jefferson's head was started next, to the right of Washington. But the rock quality wasn't good there. Borglum decided to blast it off and start over.
Jefferson's head was then restarted on Washington's left side. It was finished and dedicated in 1936.
Abraham Lincoln's Face
Abraham Lincoln's head was the most difficult to carve because of his beard. His face was placed on the far right side of the cliff.
Lincoln's face was finally dedicated on September 17, 1937. This date was special because it was the 150th anniversary of the signing of the Constitution of the United States.
Theodore Roosevelt's Face
While Theodore Roosevelt's head was being carved, new facilities for tourists were also being built. These included plumbing, lighting, and a visitor center.
The sculptors had to cut deeper into the mountain to find good rock for Roosevelt's face. This caused some concern about how far they were going. Roosevelt's head was dedicated on July 2, 1939.
The Hall of Records
Borglum had a grand idea for another part of the monument. He wanted to create a secret room called the Hall of Records. This hall would be carved into the granite behind Lincoln's head.
Borglum imagined a large vault inside this hall. He wanted to store important historical documents there, like the original Constitution of the United States and the Declaration of Independence. He even planned for 800 granite steps leading to the entrance.
In 1938, Borglum and his team began carving the Hall of Records. However, the granite was unexpectedly hard. Also, World War II was starting in Europe, and funding became difficult.
Borglum died suddenly in March 1941. His team had carved about 70 feet into the granite. All work on the monument stopped on October 31 of the same year.
Years later, in 1998, the National Park System and Borglum's family finished parts of the Hall of Records. They installed a titanium vault in the floor of the unfinished hall. This vault now holds 16 special panels. These panels contain copies of the U.S. Constitution and other important historical documents. You can see the entrance to the Hall of Records from aerial photos of the monument.
Mount Rushmore Today
Today, visitors can walk along the Presidential Trail. This trail starts at Grandview Terrace and goes through the forest to the sculptor's studio. The studio is now a museum. It has lots of information about how the monument was built and the tools the workers used. The granite pieces removed during construction are still visible below the presidents' faces.
Images for kids
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Mount Rushmore before construction around 1905.
