One
of America's national treasures, this monument symbolizes
how the United States can take themes common in other
parts of the world (in this case a frieze) and recreate
them in an unprecedented scale. The monument is busts
of four American Presidents: George Washington, Thomas
Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln.
They were chosen to represent the great leaders of
the country's first 150 years, and each symbolizes
a particular aspect of the country's history: the
nation's founding, political philosophy, preservation,
and expansion. It took 400 workers 14 years to carve
the 60-foot tall sculptures into the granite face
of Mount Rushmore. But there is more to this 1,278-acre
national park than just the monument. There is also
the Sculptor's House, built in 1939 that shows how
the monument was made, as well as a number of hiking,
walking, and interpretive trails.
- On
a clear day, the heads are visible for 60 miles.
- Mount
Rushmore is 6,000 feet (1,829 meters) above sea
level.
- The
busts face northeast toward Rapid City.
- Mount
Rushmore was designated a National Memorial in 1925
-- two years before construction began.
- The
idea for the monument came from Jonah Robinson of
the South Dakota State Historical Society.
