Hello Everyone,
Located in the Black Hills, near Keystone, South Dakota, is the state’s number one tourist attraction - the Mount Rushmore National Memorial. It’s a massive sculpture created by Gutzon Borglum that salutes American presidents: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt. Since its completion in 1941, the four 60-foot profiles have served as a beacon of freedom and patriotism.
WHO WAS GUTZON BORGLUM
Born in St. Charles, Idaho, in 1867, of Danish immigrants, Gutzon Borglum spent his childhood in Fremont, Nebraska before moving to California. After opening a small studio there, he executed a few commissions, making a name for himself. One was a portrait of John C. Fremont. This brought him acclaim and the friendship of the general’s wife, Jesse Benton Fremont. She helped him sell many of his works, earning him enough for the first of two European trips.
Shortly before departing for France, he married Elizabeth James Putnam. She was an artist who was twenty years his senior. The Borglums spent the next ten years traveling, studying, and exhibiting in Europe. In Paris, he studied at the Julien Academy and the Ecole des Beaux-Arts. Borglum also met Auguste Rodin, who was a major influence on the young sculptor. After a year in Spain and a trip home to California, the couple went to London in 1896. Some of his works were displayed at Windsor Castle for Queen Victoria. After marital problems, Elizabeth returned home while Borglum stayed in Europe until 1901. The couple got a divorce in 1908.
In New York City, Borglum sculpted saints and apostles for the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine in 1901. His bronze group, The Mares of Dimedes, was accepted by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1906. It was the first sculpture by a living American the museum had ever purchased. He sculpted many portrait busts of American leaders, as well as such figures as the Twelve Apostles for the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine in New York.
He married Mary Montgomery Williams in 1909 with whom he had two children including a son, Lincoln. Lincoln proved instrumental in helping with his father’s Mount Rushmore project.
After living in Connecticut for ten years, Borglum moved to Texas in 1925. He was commissioned by the Trail Drivers Association to work on the monument to trail drivers. Although he completed the model that year, it was not cast until 1940 due to lack of funds. It stands in front of the Texas Pioneer and Trail Drivers Memorial Hall in San Antonio.
He also planned the redevelopment of the Corpus Christi waterfront though his plan failed. His son, Lincoln, modified the model of a statue of Christ and erected it on a mountaintop in South Dakota.
Borglum was a strong fan of Abraham Lincoln and fascinated with gigantic scale and nationalistic themes. He carved the head of Abraham Lincoln from a six-ton block of marble. It was first exhibited in Theodore Roosevelt’s White House and can now be found in the United States Capitol crypt in Washington, D.C.
According to Wikipedia, Borglum was "A patriot believing that the monuments we have built are not our own, he looked to create art that was American, drawn from American sources, memorializing American achievement, according to a 1908 interview.”
In 1908, Borglum won a competition for a statue of the Civil War General Philip Sheridan. It was placed in Sheridan Circle in Washington, D.C. while a second version was erected in Chicago. He also created a memorial to Pickett’s Charge on the Gettysburg Battlefield. For Newark, New Jersey, he created the Wars of America memorial and the Seated Lincoln. You can see models of these at Keystone, South Dakota’s Rushmore Borglum Story.
One of his more unusual pieces is the Aviator completed in 1919. It’s a memorial to James R. McConnell, killed in World War I while flying for the Lafayette Espadrille. It stands on the University of Virginia grounds in Charlottesville, Virginia.
It was because of the head of Lincoln that Helen Plane, President of the United Daughters of the Confederacy, asked in 1915 for him to sculpt the carving on Stone Mountain, Georgia near Atlanta. However, he convinced them that their idea would look like a postage stamp on a barn door. His ideas evolved into a high-relief frieze of Lee, Jefferson Davis, and “Stonewall” Jackson riding around the mountain followed by a column of soldiers. World War I delayed the project as did other difficulties until the carving began on June 23, 1923. Lee’s head was unveiled on the general’s birthday January 19, 1924.
Soon Borglum was at odds with the officials of the organization and was fired. He then smashed his clay and plaster models. This angered his directors so much they issued a warrant for his arrest. Borglum then left Georgia permanently. None of his work remains on the mountain today. It was blasted off for the work of his replacement, Henry Augustus Lukeman, whose work was finished in 1970.
However, Borglum benefited from the project. It enabled him to learn techniques for sculpting on a gigantic scale that he would use on Mount Rushmore. Carving was limited on Stone Mountain to jackhammers and chisels until a Belgian engineer taught him how to use dynamite.
Borglum also led an active political life. He actively campaigned for Theodore Roosevelt in his reelection bid of 1912. President Woodrow Wilson appointed him during the first World War to investigate practices in the aircraft manufacturing industry. Borglum discovered so many scandals that President Wilson appointed Chief Justice Hughes to look into it further.
GUTZON AND MOUNT RUSHMORE
Mount Rushmore was Doane Robinson’s idea. He was the state historian for South Dakota who wanted to bring tourism to the area. His plan was very different from that which eventually evolved. Robinson wanted to create a monument on the Needles (spires in Custer’s State Park) using such American heroes as Lewis and Clark, Red Cloud, and Buffalo Bill Cody. He chose Borglum because of his work on Stone Mountain.
Borglum came to the Black Hills in 1924 and decided the Needles were not adequate for his sculpture because of their poor granite quality and their narrowness. In 1925, he located Mount Rushmore which he preferred for many reasons. It had a fine-grained granite surface, faced southeast so the monument would receive maximum sun exposure, and was large enough for the sculpture.
The mountain had been named for a New York attorney, Charles E. Rushmore, who came west to inspect gold mining claims in 1885. When he asked his guide, William Challis, the mountain’s name, Challis replied that it never had a name before but from now on would be known as Rushmore Peak (later Mount Rushmore). Rushmore dedicated $5,000 to the memorial.
Ivan Houser was an assistant sculptor to Gutzon Borglum in the monument’s early years of carving. He worked from shortly after the inception for seven years. Borglum’s son, Lincoln, took over as Assistant Sculptor to his father when Houser left. Lincoln also oversaw the project when his father was busy raising money, sculpting a Thomas Paine memorial for Paris and a Woodrow Wilson memorial for Poznán, Poland. When Gutzon died in 1941, Lincoln spent seven months finishing the project. During his life, Gutzon created 175 sculptures.
RUSHMORE BORGLUM STORY
To learn about the sculptor’s life and see many of his paintings, models, and busts, visit the Rushmore Borglum Story in Keystone, South Dakota. It’s the largest collection of his art in the country. Stand along the full-sized eye of Lincoln. It’s an exact replica of his eye on the mountain. Watch a film that takes you and Borglum to the top of the monument in a cable car.
You can’t photograph once you enter the attraction’s exhibits. You can shoot those in the lobby and the outdoor replicas of the Stone Mountain carving and a Seated Lincoln sculpture.
Lobby sculptures include a bronze Lincoln bust. The original is in the Capitol rotunda in Washington, D.C. Visitors also see the only known self portrait of Gutzon Borglum. We found a model of his Wars of America, dedicated to veterans from the Revolutionary War through World War I, too dark for a good photo. The original is in Newark’s Memorial Park.
Visitors are supplied with a personal audio device and headset providing narration for each of the 15 gallery cases. Many display his models and relate his personal history. One houses family furniture while two are devoted to Mary and Lincoln Borglum. Look for the bust of Gutzon done by his son and an exhibit which explains how to cast sculptures. Inside one large gallery room, visitors find a huge Seated Lincoln and a construction model of his idea for Stone Mountain.
This attraction is open daily from Memorial Day to Labor Day from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. After Labor Day to September, it is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Closed weekends. Hours vary in May, September, and October. It is located at 342 Winter Street and the telephone number is (605) 666-4448. Admission is adults $13, seniors (60+) $12, children ( 13-17) $9, under age 13 free. Parking is validated by purchasing tour tickets. Otherwise, it is $5.
Comment: They claim these are their hours. I am unable to confirm that since it has been impossible to reach them for weeks by telephone or email for fact checking. Their voice mail has been full for weeks and they ignore emails.
HISTORY OF THE MEMORIAL
After the Memorial was accepted, it was vital to raise funding for it. Doane Robinson worked tirelessly to raise funds as did South Dakota Senator Peter Norbeck, Representative William Williamson, and Rapid City Mayor John Boland. Two bills were drafted. The federal one requesting permission to use federal land in Harney National Forest for the memorial passed easily. The state’s The Mount Harney National Memorial Bill was defeated twice before narrowly passing in 1925.
The Mount Harney Memorial Association was formed but no funds were authorized by South Dakota since the state had been assured funding would be by private donations. These eventually arrived from the railroads, Homestake Gold Mine, and South Dakota school children.
Borglum met with U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Andrew Mellon to secure his support for the project and the passage of a funding bill. Mellon wanted to fund the entire project. Borglum asked only for half, believing he could get the rest from private donations.
President Coolidge signed the bill authorizing government matching funds up to $250,000. The bill also created a 12-member Mount Rushmore National Memorial Commission to oversee its completion. He filled ten positions leaving it to President Hoover to fill the remaining two.
Mayor Boland was made president of the commission. However, Doane Robinson who had conceived the idea of the memorial was excluded. His name was not even on the list of candidates. A disappointed Robinson slowly drifted away from the project.
President Hoover quickly filled the two positions. After much delay, he finally met with the commission. Mellon issued a check for $54,670.56 the next day. That amount matched what had been spent on the project by the Mount Harney Memorial Association.
Workers were hired, machinery installed, and facilities constructed. President Coolidge gave a dedication speech at Mount Rushmore on August 10, 1927, and carving commenced on October 4, 1927. South Dakota’s Senator Norbeck during the 1930's constantly sought funding through New Deal emergency relief programs that were matched with funds from the original appropriations bill.
In 1933, President Roosevelt placed Mount Rushmore under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service. The project was supervised by engineer Julian Spotts.
In 1937, Congress introduced a bill proposing that Susan B. Anthony’s head be included. This fell through due to the existing appropriations bill mandating that federal money could only be spent on the carvings which had been started.
Being resentful of the government’s watchful eye, Borglum turned the project’s control over to an appointed commission in 1938. That same year, he started a Hall of Records in a valley behind the sculpture. This repository would tell the story of Mount Rushmore and history of the United States. Bronze and glass cabinets would house such documents as the U.S. Constitution. It would also contain busts of famous Americans and a list of U.S. contributions to the world in science, industry, and the arts.
Congress threatened to cut off funding unless used specifically for the sculpture. After blasting a 70-foot tunnel into the mountain, Borglum stopped work on the Hall in 1939. It was never finished. In 1998, a repository of records was place in the hall entry’s door. It contains 16 porcelain enamel panels on which are inscribed the text of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, biographies of the four presidents and Borglum, and a short history of the United States. It is not accessible to visitors but left as a time capsule.
Gutzon Borglum’s death and the American involvement in World War II ended the project. On October 31, 1941, Mount Rushmore was declared complete. Total cost was $989,992.32. The project took 14 years of which only six years involved actual carving. The remaining 8.5 years were due to weather and lack of funds.
Mount Rushmore was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1966. President George H. W. Bush dedicated Mount Rushmore in 1991. Before that event, the memorial had never been formally dedicated.
Borglum’s original studio built in 1927 was located at the site which is now the visitor’s terrace. It was a combination concession stand and workshop/office. A dormitory was erected in 1956, the initial visitor center and concession center in 1957, and the amphitheater in 1958.
To accommodate the large crowds visiting Mount Rushmore, major development between 1991 and 1998 for $56 million was carried out. The Lincoln Borglum Visitor Center, Grand View Terrace, Avenue of Flags, restaurant, gift shop, and parking decks were built. The museum is being renovated in 2019/2020. Nearly three million people now visit Mount Rushmore annually.
WORK ON THE SCULPTURE
Borglum familiarized himself with life masks, paintings, photographs, and descriptions of the four presidents. He then created models sized at a ratio of one inch on the model equaling one foot on the mountain. To transfer measurements, a pointing system was used. Protractors were mounted on top of the model’s head and one 12 times larger on the mountain. By substituting feet for inches, workers determined where and how much rock to remove.
Many workers were miners who had come to the Black Hills looking for gold. They weren’t artists but knew how to use jackhammers and drills. The chief carver was Luigi del Bianco, an Italian immigrant who was a headstone carver from Port Chester, New York. He was chosen because of his skill in etching emotions and personality into carved portraits.
Although the 400 workers endured extremely strenuous conditions during the construction, no deaths occurred. Weather conditions ranged from blazing hot to bitter cold and windy. Before a tramway was built, they had to climb 700 stairs to the top of the mountain daily to punch in on the time clock.
Ninety percent of the work was done with dynamite. Workers had to be cleared from the mountain before each blast. On top of the mountain, those in the winch house would hand crank the winches to raise and lower the drillers. The 3/8 inch thick steel cables would then lower them in front of the 500-foot mountain face in a “bosun chair.” Call boys and men sat on the mountain’s edge to shout messages back and forth for safety. This was to prevent the winches from going too fast resulting in the drillers in their bosun chairs being dragged up on their faces.
Dynamite was used until only three to six inches of rock were left to remove. After an egg-shaped rock had been exposed and prepared, measurements of the facial features were calculated. Then drillers and assistant carvers use air-powered tools to do a process called honeycombing, drilling holes into the granite very close together. The excess rock was chiseled and hammered off. The next process, known as bumping, was smoothing the surfaces of the faces with a pneumatic drill and a special bit. This evened the granite to create a surface as smooth as a concrete sidewalk. About 450,000 tons of rock were moved during the project which still lay at the mountain’s base.
National Park Service staff repel over the faces today to inspect and caulk any cracks or fissures. A silicone sealant seals out moisture and helps prevent snow and ice from penetrating into cracks and damaging the sculpture.
THE PRESIDENTS
Borglum chose the four presidents for various reasons. Originally, each was to be depicted from head to waist. However, lack of funding forced construction to halt after sculpting only the heads. The exception was Washington. On his, you can see rock was removed below the shoulders, leading down to a large dark stripe, before moving on to the other heads. Each of the presidents is 60 feet high, the height of a six-story building. Noses are 20 feet long, eyes 11 feet wide, and mouths 18 feet wide.
George Washington was selected because he was the first president and represented the foundation of American democracy. He served from 1789 to 1797. Borglum chose to show Washington at Valley Forge. Before sculpting Washington, Borglum studied portraits by Rembrandt, Peale, and Gilbert Stewart and a life mask by French artist Antoine Houdon. The head was dedicated on July 4, 1930.
Thomas Jefferson, the third President, served from 1801 to 1809. He was chosen to represent the United States’ expansion. Under his term, the Louisiana Purchase occurred which doubled the size of the nation. He also sponsored the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Borglum depicted him as a 33-year old and used a life mask by John H. W. Browere as a model for accuracy.
Originally Jefferson was to be on the right of Washington. However, the stone in the original site proved to be too weak. The head was moved to the left of Washington and the partially complete face erased from the mountain. Jefferson’s head was dedicated in August 30, 1936 in a ceremony attended by Franklin D. Roosevelt.
President Abraham Lincoln was always one of Borglum’s favorite subjects to sculpt. He chose to portray Lincoln in his last days in office. He used Clark Mills’ life mask as a model.
Lincoln served as the 17th President from 1861 to 1865. He embodies the preservation of the nation as he guided the nation through the Civil War and was the great emancipator. His head was dedicated on September 17, 1937. On July 4, 1987, a rededication was held.
Theodore Roosevelt’s head also proved to be a problem. The surface rock was so eroded, the miners had to drill in more than 120 feet to find carvable stone. Although Roosevelt’s spectacles appear to be complete, they are not. Borglum carved only the nosepiece and a small ridge to create the illusion. His head was dedicated on July 2, 1939, the 50th anniversary of South Dakota’s statehood.
He was the 26th President, serving from 1901 to 1909. Roosevelt was chosen because he opened the East to the West with the construction of the Panama Canal. He was also selected because of his work with conservation and economic development. He was known as the “trust buster.” Borglum and Theodore Roosevelt were close friends before, during, and after Roosevelt’s presidency.
WHAT YOU CAN VISIT
Start your visit to Mount Rushmore by visiting the Information Center. It is on your right as you go past the entrance. This is the location to pick up the park newspaper and park maps as well as ask rangers your questions. It also has a bookstore. Check the schedule on the large sign outside to see what times ranger walks and talks will occur. It opens daily at 8:00 a.m. but closes at 5:00 p.m. October through May, 10:00 p.m. June through mid August, and 9:00 p.m. mid August through the end of September.
You can rent a standard audio tour for $6 or The Mount Rushmore Self Guided Tour: A Living Memorial audio/visual tour for $8. During the summer, they are available from the Information Center. At other times, they can be obtained only from the Audio Tour building located directly across from the Information Center. The tour is available in French, German, Spanish, Lakota, and English.
Mount Rushmore Audio Tour; Living Memorial is two hours long. It covers 29 locations as it tells the story of Mount Rushmore. The audio tour incorporates historic recordings of Gutzon, Mary, and Lincoln Borglum as well as from some of the workers on site. It relates information about the presidents and the Lakotas, the Native Americans who lived in the area, including interviews regarding their feelings about Mount Rushmore.
Added in 1976 to celebrate the Bicentennial, the Avenue of Flags has 56 flags lining the walkway. It starts near the entrance and ends at the Grand View Terrace. In alphabetical order, they represent every state and American territory as well as the District of Columbia. Each flagpole reveals the date statehood was attained. Stand at the beginning of the flags for a great photo spot since that is the location they frame the four presidents’ faces.
The Grand View Terrace is another great photo location since it gives the classic view of the memorial. You can use the telescopes on the terrace for $.50 fee. Below and in front of the terrace is the amphitheater where you can attend the summer lighting and evening program at Mount Rushmore.
The Lincoln Borglum Center and Museum is closed for the remainder of 2019 and part of 2020 as it is being rehabbed. It is located on the bottom level and can be reached via stairs or elevator as can the amphitheater.
It is the main visitor center and a great place to learn about Borglum, his workers, and the immense amount of work and detail it took to sculpt Mount Rushmore. You will also learn about the presidents and see original tools employed during the carving. Check out its bookstore carrying books on Mount Rushmore and the Black Hills. Feel free to ask rangers questions
It also houses two theaters. These play a 14-minute video Mount Rushmore, The Shrine. Shown every 20 minutes, it has historical film footage and photos as it tells the story of the carving and Borglum.
Hike the Presidential Trail, a half mile loop that leads to viewing areas at the base of the mountain. It is wheelchair accessible from the Grandview Terrace to the base of the mountain. However, after that there are 422 recycled plastic stairs that climb partially up the mountain and then continue down to the Sculptor’s Studio. It includes a nature trail full of plants and wildlife.
You can visit the Sculptor’s Studio. It reopened in 2019 after being closed in 2018 for renovations. It was where Borglum worked from 1939 to 1941 and was his second studio on site. It contains the second working model for Mount Rushmore since the first had Jefferson to the left of Washington. A collection of tools and descriptions of how they were used is displayed as are several photographs of Mount Rushmore before and after the carving. During the summer, 15-minute ranger talks are given here about the men who carved the mountain and the tools and techniques they used.
The Lakota, Nakota, and Dakota Heritage Village is at the beginning of the Presidential Trail from early June through mid August. Interpreters talk about the lifestyle and customs of these Native Americans from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., weather permitting. You can see tipis, buffalo hides, and more.
ACTIVITIES
Free ranger-led programs and guided walks are held daily at various locations during summer months. A 30-minute ranger walk follows the Presidential Trail to the base of the mountain carving. Talks cover a variety of subjects and last about 30 minutes.
All ages can participate in the Junior Ranger programs consisting of completing activity books on the park’s history and ecology. They have three programs: Junior Ranger Trainee for ages 3-5, Junior Ranger for children ages 5-12, and Rushmore Ranger for those ages 13 and older. The activities usually take an hour or two. Upon finishing the required tasks, young participants will receive a Junior Ranger badge. Certificates of completion are part of the Junior Ranger and Rushmore Ranger books. Souvenir patches may be purchased at one of the bookstores.
Do not miss the 45-minute evening program in the amphitheater which runs from late May to late September. It occurs at 9:00 p.m. during the summer and at 8:00 p.m. after the first week of August. It begins with a short film Freedom: America’s Lasting Legacy; continues with the singing of the national anthem and a flag ceremony honoring military personnel, past and present; and ends with the lighting of the monument. During the off season, the monument remains lit for an hour after sunset but there is no program.
FOOD AND SHOPPING
You can purchase breakfast, lunch, or dinner at the Carvers' Cafe. It’s a food court venue and the only dining on site. At the Cafe's Black Hills Harvest you can find wraps and salads. Memorial Grill features a buffalo burger, grilled chicken sandwich, a hot dog or a buffalo dog. Dakota Kitchen has everything from savory buffalo stew to lemon pepper chicken and baked Tilapia. It is open from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. in summer and 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in winter.
Memorial Team Ice Cream is named in honor of the carvers who worked on the mountain. Some workers were picked because of their fielding or pitching skills rather than their carving abilities. In 1939, the team took second place in state competition. In this parlor, you can see life-size photos of some of the team members in their baseball uniforms.
This ice cream parlor is known for TJ’s vanilla ice cream, from a local dairy farm, which traces back to President Jefferson’s original recipe in 1780. Jefferson is credited with bringing the first written recipe for ice cream to the United States. It gets its vanilla flavor from vanilla beans where Jefferson would have gotten them in his day.
You can purchase soft-serve or hand-dipped ice cream at this parlor that also serves snacks, fountain drinks, and specialty floats. You can also purchase their homemade fudge.
A Fred Harvey Trading Company gift shop sells collectibles and mementos. It carries clothing, wildlife posters, postcards, local American art, and a book section. It is open from 8:00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. in summer and from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. in winter.
DETAILS
All programs and activities are free at Mount Rushmore. There is a $10 parking fee. The pass then becomes valid for a year. Seniors, ages 62 and older, pay $5. Active military are free with ID. The memorial is open daily. On Christmas, the buildings are closed but the grounds are open. Grounds are open daily from 5:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Plan on two to four hours to explore all that Mount Rushmore has to offer. The address is 13000 Highway 244, Keystone, South Dakota. The telephone number is (605) 574-2523.
Note: The Lincoln Borglum Visitor Center and Museum, Grand View Terrace, and Avenue of Flags are currently under renovation. It is hoped that this work is completed by the summer of 2020.
Located in the Black Hills, near Keystone, South Dakota, is the state’s number one tourist attraction - the Mount Rushmore National Memorial. It’s a massive sculpture created by Gutzon Borglum that salutes American presidents: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt. Since its completion in 1941, the four 60-foot profiles have served as a beacon of freedom and patriotism.
WHO WAS GUTZON BORGLUM
Born in St. Charles, Idaho, in 1867, of Danish immigrants, Gutzon Borglum spent his childhood in Fremont, Nebraska before moving to California. After opening a small studio there, he executed a few commissions, making a name for himself. One was a portrait of John C. Fremont. This brought him acclaim and the friendship of the general’s wife, Jesse Benton Fremont. She helped him sell many of his works, earning him enough for the first of two European trips.
Shortly before departing for France, he married Elizabeth James Putnam. She was an artist who was twenty years his senior. The Borglums spent the next ten years traveling, studying, and exhibiting in Europe. In Paris, he studied at the Julien Academy and the Ecole des Beaux-Arts. Borglum also met Auguste Rodin, who was a major influence on the young sculptor. After a year in Spain and a trip home to California, the couple went to London in 1896. Some of his works were displayed at Windsor Castle for Queen Victoria. After marital problems, Elizabeth returned home while Borglum stayed in Europe until 1901. The couple got a divorce in 1908.
In New York City, Borglum sculpted saints and apostles for the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine in 1901. His bronze group, The Mares of Dimedes, was accepted by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1906. It was the first sculpture by a living American the museum had ever purchased. He sculpted many portrait busts of American leaders, as well as such figures as the Twelve Apostles for the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine in New York.
He married Mary Montgomery Williams in 1909 with whom he had two children including a son, Lincoln. Lincoln proved instrumental in helping with his father’s Mount Rushmore project.
After living in Connecticut for ten years, Borglum moved to Texas in 1925. He was commissioned by the Trail Drivers Association to work on the monument to trail drivers. Although he completed the model that year, it was not cast until 1940 due to lack of funds. It stands in front of the Texas Pioneer and Trail Drivers Memorial Hall in San Antonio.
He also planned the redevelopment of the Corpus Christi waterfront though his plan failed. His son, Lincoln, modified the model of a statue of Christ and erected it on a mountaintop in South Dakota.
Borglum was a strong fan of Abraham Lincoln and fascinated with gigantic scale and nationalistic themes. He carved the head of Abraham Lincoln from a six-ton block of marble. It was first exhibited in Theodore Roosevelt’s White House and can now be found in the United States Capitol crypt in Washington, D.C.
According to Wikipedia, Borglum was "A patriot believing that the monuments we have built are not our own, he looked to create art that was American, drawn from American sources, memorializing American achievement, according to a 1908 interview.”
In 1908, Borglum won a competition for a statue of the Civil War General Philip Sheridan. It was placed in Sheridan Circle in Washington, D.C. while a second version was erected in Chicago. He also created a memorial to Pickett’s Charge on the Gettysburg Battlefield. For Newark, New Jersey, he created the Wars of America memorial and the Seated Lincoln. You can see models of these at Keystone, South Dakota’s Rushmore Borglum Story.
One of his more unusual pieces is the Aviator completed in 1919. It’s a memorial to James R. McConnell, killed in World War I while flying for the Lafayette Espadrille. It stands on the University of Virginia grounds in Charlottesville, Virginia.
It was because of the head of Lincoln that Helen Plane, President of the United Daughters of the Confederacy, asked in 1915 for him to sculpt the carving on Stone Mountain, Georgia near Atlanta. However, he convinced them that their idea would look like a postage stamp on a barn door. His ideas evolved into a high-relief frieze of Lee, Jefferson Davis, and “Stonewall” Jackson riding around the mountain followed by a column of soldiers. World War I delayed the project as did other difficulties until the carving began on June 23, 1923. Lee’s head was unveiled on the general’s birthday January 19, 1924.
Soon Borglum was at odds with the officials of the organization and was fired. He then smashed his clay and plaster models. This angered his directors so much they issued a warrant for his arrest. Borglum then left Georgia permanently. None of his work remains on the mountain today. It was blasted off for the work of his replacement, Henry Augustus Lukeman, whose work was finished in 1970.
However, Borglum benefited from the project. It enabled him to learn techniques for sculpting on a gigantic scale that he would use on Mount Rushmore. Carving was limited on Stone Mountain to jackhammers and chisels until a Belgian engineer taught him how to use dynamite.
Borglum also led an active political life. He actively campaigned for Theodore Roosevelt in his reelection bid of 1912. President Woodrow Wilson appointed him during the first World War to investigate practices in the aircraft manufacturing industry. Borglum discovered so many scandals that President Wilson appointed Chief Justice Hughes to look into it further.
GUTZON AND MOUNT RUSHMORE
Mount Rushmore was Doane Robinson’s idea. He was the state historian for South Dakota who wanted to bring tourism to the area. His plan was very different from that which eventually evolved. Robinson wanted to create a monument on the Needles (spires in Custer’s State Park) using such American heroes as Lewis and Clark, Red Cloud, and Buffalo Bill Cody. He chose Borglum because of his work on Stone Mountain.
Borglum came to the Black Hills in 1924 and decided the Needles were not adequate for his sculpture because of their poor granite quality and their narrowness. In 1925, he located Mount Rushmore which he preferred for many reasons. It had a fine-grained granite surface, faced southeast so the monument would receive maximum sun exposure, and was large enough for the sculpture.
The mountain had been named for a New York attorney, Charles E. Rushmore, who came west to inspect gold mining claims in 1885. When he asked his guide, William Challis, the mountain’s name, Challis replied that it never had a name before but from now on would be known as Rushmore Peak (later Mount Rushmore). Rushmore dedicated $5,000 to the memorial.
Ivan Houser was an assistant sculptor to Gutzon Borglum in the monument’s early years of carving. He worked from shortly after the inception for seven years. Borglum’s son, Lincoln, took over as Assistant Sculptor to his father when Houser left. Lincoln also oversaw the project when his father was busy raising money, sculpting a Thomas Paine memorial for Paris and a Woodrow Wilson memorial for Poznán, Poland. When Gutzon died in 1941, Lincoln spent seven months finishing the project. During his life, Gutzon created 175 sculptures.
RUSHMORE BORGLUM STORY
To learn about the sculptor’s life and see many of his paintings, models, and busts, visit the Rushmore Borglum Story in Keystone, South Dakota. It’s the largest collection of his art in the country. Stand along the full-sized eye of Lincoln. It’s an exact replica of his eye on the mountain. Watch a film that takes you and Borglum to the top of the monument in a cable car.
You can’t photograph once you enter the attraction’s exhibits. You can shoot those in the lobby and the outdoor replicas of the Stone Mountain carving and a Seated Lincoln sculpture.
Lobby sculptures include a bronze Lincoln bust. The original is in the Capitol rotunda in Washington, D.C. Visitors also see the only known self portrait of Gutzon Borglum. We found a model of his Wars of America, dedicated to veterans from the Revolutionary War through World War I, too dark for a good photo. The original is in Newark’s Memorial Park.
Visitors are supplied with a personal audio device and headset providing narration for each of the 15 gallery cases. Many display his models and relate his personal history. One houses family furniture while two are devoted to Mary and Lincoln Borglum. Look for the bust of Gutzon done by his son and an exhibit which explains how to cast sculptures. Inside one large gallery room, visitors find a huge Seated Lincoln and a construction model of his idea for Stone Mountain.
This attraction is open daily from Memorial Day to Labor Day from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. After Labor Day to September, it is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Closed weekends. Hours vary in May, September, and October. It is located at 342 Winter Street and the telephone number is (605) 666-4448. Admission is adults $13, seniors (60+) $12, children ( 13-17) $9, under age 13 free. Parking is validated by purchasing tour tickets. Otherwise, it is $5.
Comment: They claim these are their hours. I am unable to confirm that since it has been impossible to reach them for weeks by telephone or email for fact checking. Their voice mail has been full for weeks and they ignore emails.
HISTORY OF THE MEMORIAL
After the Memorial was accepted, it was vital to raise funding for it. Doane Robinson worked tirelessly to raise funds as did South Dakota Senator Peter Norbeck, Representative William Williamson, and Rapid City Mayor John Boland. Two bills were drafted. The federal one requesting permission to use federal land in Harney National Forest for the memorial passed easily. The state’s The Mount Harney National Memorial Bill was defeated twice before narrowly passing in 1925.
The Mount Harney Memorial Association was formed but no funds were authorized by South Dakota since the state had been assured funding would be by private donations. These eventually arrived from the railroads, Homestake Gold Mine, and South Dakota school children.
Borglum met with U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Andrew Mellon to secure his support for the project and the passage of a funding bill. Mellon wanted to fund the entire project. Borglum asked only for half, believing he could get the rest from private donations.
President Coolidge signed the bill authorizing government matching funds up to $250,000. The bill also created a 12-member Mount Rushmore National Memorial Commission to oversee its completion. He filled ten positions leaving it to President Hoover to fill the remaining two.
Mayor Boland was made president of the commission. However, Doane Robinson who had conceived the idea of the memorial was excluded. His name was not even on the list of candidates. A disappointed Robinson slowly drifted away from the project.
President Hoover quickly filled the two positions. After much delay, he finally met with the commission. Mellon issued a check for $54,670.56 the next day. That amount matched what had been spent on the project by the Mount Harney Memorial Association.
Workers were hired, machinery installed, and facilities constructed. President Coolidge gave a dedication speech at Mount Rushmore on August 10, 1927, and carving commenced on October 4, 1927. South Dakota’s Senator Norbeck during the 1930's constantly sought funding through New Deal emergency relief programs that were matched with funds from the original appropriations bill.
In 1933, President Roosevelt placed Mount Rushmore under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service. The project was supervised by engineer Julian Spotts.
In 1937, Congress introduced a bill proposing that Susan B. Anthony’s head be included. This fell through due to the existing appropriations bill mandating that federal money could only be spent on the carvings which had been started.
Being resentful of the government’s watchful eye, Borglum turned the project’s control over to an appointed commission in 1938. That same year, he started a Hall of Records in a valley behind the sculpture. This repository would tell the story of Mount Rushmore and history of the United States. Bronze and glass cabinets would house such documents as the U.S. Constitution. It would also contain busts of famous Americans and a list of U.S. contributions to the world in science, industry, and the arts.
Congress threatened to cut off funding unless used specifically for the sculpture. After blasting a 70-foot tunnel into the mountain, Borglum stopped work on the Hall in 1939. It was never finished. In 1998, a repository of records was place in the hall entry’s door. It contains 16 porcelain enamel panels on which are inscribed the text of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, biographies of the four presidents and Borglum, and a short history of the United States. It is not accessible to visitors but left as a time capsule.
Gutzon Borglum’s death and the American involvement in World War II ended the project. On October 31, 1941, Mount Rushmore was declared complete. Total cost was $989,992.32. The project took 14 years of which only six years involved actual carving. The remaining 8.5 years were due to weather and lack of funds.
Mount Rushmore was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1966. President George H. W. Bush dedicated Mount Rushmore in 1991. Before that event, the memorial had never been formally dedicated.
Borglum’s original studio built in 1927 was located at the site which is now the visitor’s terrace. It was a combination concession stand and workshop/office. A dormitory was erected in 1956, the initial visitor center and concession center in 1957, and the amphitheater in 1958.
To accommodate the large crowds visiting Mount Rushmore, major development between 1991 and 1998 for $56 million was carried out. The Lincoln Borglum Visitor Center, Grand View Terrace, Avenue of Flags, restaurant, gift shop, and parking decks were built. The museum is being renovated in 2019/2020. Nearly three million people now visit Mount Rushmore annually.
WORK ON THE SCULPTURE
Borglum familiarized himself with life masks, paintings, photographs, and descriptions of the four presidents. He then created models sized at a ratio of one inch on the model equaling one foot on the mountain. To transfer measurements, a pointing system was used. Protractors were mounted on top of the model’s head and one 12 times larger on the mountain. By substituting feet for inches, workers determined where and how much rock to remove.
Many workers were miners who had come to the Black Hills looking for gold. They weren’t artists but knew how to use jackhammers and drills. The chief carver was Luigi del Bianco, an Italian immigrant who was a headstone carver from Port Chester, New York. He was chosen because of his skill in etching emotions and personality into carved portraits.
Although the 400 workers endured extremely strenuous conditions during the construction, no deaths occurred. Weather conditions ranged from blazing hot to bitter cold and windy. Before a tramway was built, they had to climb 700 stairs to the top of the mountain daily to punch in on the time clock.
Ninety percent of the work was done with dynamite. Workers had to be cleared from the mountain before each blast. On top of the mountain, those in the winch house would hand crank the winches to raise and lower the drillers. The 3/8 inch thick steel cables would then lower them in front of the 500-foot mountain face in a “bosun chair.” Call boys and men sat on the mountain’s edge to shout messages back and forth for safety. This was to prevent the winches from going too fast resulting in the drillers in their bosun chairs being dragged up on their faces.
Dynamite was used until only three to six inches of rock were left to remove. After an egg-shaped rock had been exposed and prepared, measurements of the facial features were calculated. Then drillers and assistant carvers use air-powered tools to do a process called honeycombing, drilling holes into the granite very close together. The excess rock was chiseled and hammered off. The next process, known as bumping, was smoothing the surfaces of the faces with a pneumatic drill and a special bit. This evened the granite to create a surface as smooth as a concrete sidewalk. About 450,000 tons of rock were moved during the project which still lay at the mountain’s base.
National Park Service staff repel over the faces today to inspect and caulk any cracks or fissures. A silicone sealant seals out moisture and helps prevent snow and ice from penetrating into cracks and damaging the sculpture.
THE PRESIDENTS
Borglum chose the four presidents for various reasons. Originally, each was to be depicted from head to waist. However, lack of funding forced construction to halt after sculpting only the heads. The exception was Washington. On his, you can see rock was removed below the shoulders, leading down to a large dark stripe, before moving on to the other heads. Each of the presidents is 60 feet high, the height of a six-story building. Noses are 20 feet long, eyes 11 feet wide, and mouths 18 feet wide.
George Washington was selected because he was the first president and represented the foundation of American democracy. He served from 1789 to 1797. Borglum chose to show Washington at Valley Forge. Before sculpting Washington, Borglum studied portraits by Rembrandt, Peale, and Gilbert Stewart and a life mask by French artist Antoine Houdon. The head was dedicated on July 4, 1930.
Thomas Jefferson, the third President, served from 1801 to 1809. He was chosen to represent the United States’ expansion. Under his term, the Louisiana Purchase occurred which doubled the size of the nation. He also sponsored the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Borglum depicted him as a 33-year old and used a life mask by John H. W. Browere as a model for accuracy.
Originally Jefferson was to be on the right of Washington. However, the stone in the original site proved to be too weak. The head was moved to the left of Washington and the partially complete face erased from the mountain. Jefferson’s head was dedicated in August 30, 1936 in a ceremony attended by Franklin D. Roosevelt.
President Abraham Lincoln was always one of Borglum’s favorite subjects to sculpt. He chose to portray Lincoln in his last days in office. He used Clark Mills’ life mask as a model.
Lincoln served as the 17th President from 1861 to 1865. He embodies the preservation of the nation as he guided the nation through the Civil War and was the great emancipator. His head was dedicated on September 17, 1937. On July 4, 1987, a rededication was held.
Theodore Roosevelt’s head also proved to be a problem. The surface rock was so eroded, the miners had to drill in more than 120 feet to find carvable stone. Although Roosevelt’s spectacles appear to be complete, they are not. Borglum carved only the nosepiece and a small ridge to create the illusion. His head was dedicated on July 2, 1939, the 50th anniversary of South Dakota’s statehood.
He was the 26th President, serving from 1901 to 1909. Roosevelt was chosen because he opened the East to the West with the construction of the Panama Canal. He was also selected because of his work with conservation and economic development. He was known as the “trust buster.” Borglum and Theodore Roosevelt were close friends before, during, and after Roosevelt’s presidency.
WHAT YOU CAN VISIT
Start your visit to Mount Rushmore by visiting the Information Center. It is on your right as you go past the entrance. This is the location to pick up the park newspaper and park maps as well as ask rangers your questions. It also has a bookstore. Check the schedule on the large sign outside to see what times ranger walks and talks will occur. It opens daily at 8:00 a.m. but closes at 5:00 p.m. October through May, 10:00 p.m. June through mid August, and 9:00 p.m. mid August through the end of September.
You can rent a standard audio tour for $6 or The Mount Rushmore Self Guided Tour: A Living Memorial audio/visual tour for $8. During the summer, they are available from the Information Center. At other times, they can be obtained only from the Audio Tour building located directly across from the Information Center. The tour is available in French, German, Spanish, Lakota, and English.
Mount Rushmore Audio Tour; Living Memorial is two hours long. It covers 29 locations as it tells the story of Mount Rushmore. The audio tour incorporates historic recordings of Gutzon, Mary, and Lincoln Borglum as well as from some of the workers on site. It relates information about the presidents and the Lakotas, the Native Americans who lived in the area, including interviews regarding their feelings about Mount Rushmore.
Added in 1976 to celebrate the Bicentennial, the Avenue of Flags has 56 flags lining the walkway. It starts near the entrance and ends at the Grand View Terrace. In alphabetical order, they represent every state and American territory as well as the District of Columbia. Each flagpole reveals the date statehood was attained. Stand at the beginning of the flags for a great photo spot since that is the location they frame the four presidents’ faces.
The Grand View Terrace is another great photo location since it gives the classic view of the memorial. You can use the telescopes on the terrace for $.50 fee. Below and in front of the terrace is the amphitheater where you can attend the summer lighting and evening program at Mount Rushmore.
The Lincoln Borglum Center and Museum is closed for the remainder of 2019 and part of 2020 as it is being rehabbed. It is located on the bottom level and can be reached via stairs or elevator as can the amphitheater.
It is the main visitor center and a great place to learn about Borglum, his workers, and the immense amount of work and detail it took to sculpt Mount Rushmore. You will also learn about the presidents and see original tools employed during the carving. Check out its bookstore carrying books on Mount Rushmore and the Black Hills. Feel free to ask rangers questions
It also houses two theaters. These play a 14-minute video Mount Rushmore, The Shrine. Shown every 20 minutes, it has historical film footage and photos as it tells the story of the carving and Borglum.
Hike the Presidential Trail, a half mile loop that leads to viewing areas at the base of the mountain. It is wheelchair accessible from the Grandview Terrace to the base of the mountain. However, after that there are 422 recycled plastic stairs that climb partially up the mountain and then continue down to the Sculptor’s Studio. It includes a nature trail full of plants and wildlife.
You can visit the Sculptor’s Studio. It reopened in 2019 after being closed in 2018 for renovations. It was where Borglum worked from 1939 to 1941 and was his second studio on site. It contains the second working model for Mount Rushmore since the first had Jefferson to the left of Washington. A collection of tools and descriptions of how they were used is displayed as are several photographs of Mount Rushmore before and after the carving. During the summer, 15-minute ranger talks are given here about the men who carved the mountain and the tools and techniques they used.
The Lakota, Nakota, and Dakota Heritage Village is at the beginning of the Presidential Trail from early June through mid August. Interpreters talk about the lifestyle and customs of these Native Americans from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., weather permitting. You can see tipis, buffalo hides, and more.
ACTIVITIES
Free ranger-led programs and guided walks are held daily at various locations during summer months. A 30-minute ranger walk follows the Presidential Trail to the base of the mountain carving. Talks cover a variety of subjects and last about 30 minutes.
All ages can participate in the Junior Ranger programs consisting of completing activity books on the park’s history and ecology. They have three programs: Junior Ranger Trainee for ages 3-5, Junior Ranger for children ages 5-12, and Rushmore Ranger for those ages 13 and older. The activities usually take an hour or two. Upon finishing the required tasks, young participants will receive a Junior Ranger badge. Certificates of completion are part of the Junior Ranger and Rushmore Ranger books. Souvenir patches may be purchased at one of the bookstores.
Do not miss the 45-minute evening program in the amphitheater which runs from late May to late September. It occurs at 9:00 p.m. during the summer and at 8:00 p.m. after the first week of August. It begins with a short film Freedom: America’s Lasting Legacy; continues with the singing of the national anthem and a flag ceremony honoring military personnel, past and present; and ends with the lighting of the monument. During the off season, the monument remains lit for an hour after sunset but there is no program.
FOOD AND SHOPPING
You can purchase breakfast, lunch, or dinner at the Carvers' Cafe. It’s a food court venue and the only dining on site. At the Cafe's Black Hills Harvest you can find wraps and salads. Memorial Grill features a buffalo burger, grilled chicken sandwich, a hot dog or a buffalo dog. Dakota Kitchen has everything from savory buffalo stew to lemon pepper chicken and baked Tilapia. It is open from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. in summer and 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in winter.
Memorial Team Ice Cream is named in honor of the carvers who worked on the mountain. Some workers were picked because of their fielding or pitching skills rather than their carving abilities. In 1939, the team took second place in state competition. In this parlor, you can see life-size photos of some of the team members in their baseball uniforms.
This ice cream parlor is known for TJ’s vanilla ice cream, from a local dairy farm, which traces back to President Jefferson’s original recipe in 1780. Jefferson is credited with bringing the first written recipe for ice cream to the United States. It gets its vanilla flavor from vanilla beans where Jefferson would have gotten them in his day.
You can purchase soft-serve or hand-dipped ice cream at this parlor that also serves snacks, fountain drinks, and specialty floats. You can also purchase their homemade fudge.
A Fred Harvey Trading Company gift shop sells collectibles and mementos. It carries clothing, wildlife posters, postcards, local American art, and a book section. It is open from 8:00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. in summer and from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. in winter.
DETAILS
All programs and activities are free at Mount Rushmore. There is a $10 parking fee. The pass then becomes valid for a year. Seniors, ages 62 and older, pay $5. Active military are free with ID. The memorial is open daily. On Christmas, the buildings are closed but the grounds are open. Grounds are open daily from 5:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Plan on two to four hours to explore all that Mount Rushmore has to offer. The address is 13000 Highway 244, Keystone, South Dakota. The telephone number is (605) 574-2523.
Note: The Lincoln Borglum Visitor Center and Museum, Grand View Terrace, and Avenue of Flags are currently under renovation. It is hoped that this work is completed by the summer of 2020.
Exterior of Rushmore Borglum Story Museum
Seated Lincoln
A View of George Washington's Head from Highway 244 Near the Memorial
Entrance to Grand View Terrace Really Frames The Presidents
A Closer View From the Entrance to Grand View Terrace
Getting Closer to the Mountain
Washington, Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Lincoln at Base of Mountain
Gutzon Borglum Statue Sculpted by His Son Lincoln
Avenue of Flags
Exterior of Visitor Center
Exhibit on the Presidents at the Visitor Center
Cable Winches - Exhibit at Visitor Center
Casts of Presidents at Visitor Center
Exterior of Gift Shop
Carvers' Cafe - The Memorial's Food Court Venue
From Inside the Cafe Looking at the Heads
The Amphitheater During the Daytime
Avenue of Flags at Night
Closeup of Heads at Night
Ranger Leading Evening Program at Amphitheater