Mount Rushmore National Memorial

Whose Faces - Carved into the face of a mountain in South Dakota are the faces of four great American presidents: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln.

Why Them - “The birth of our nation was guided by the vision and courage of George Washington. Thomas Jefferson always had dreams of
a greater, more perfect nation, first in the words of the Declaration of Independence and later in the expansion of our nation through the Louisiana Purchase. Preservation of the union was Paramount to Abraham Lincoln, a nation where all men were free
and equal. At the turn of the Twentieth Century Theodore Roosevelt envisioned a great nation, a leader on the world stage, our nation was changing from a rural republic to a world power. The ideals of these presidents laid a foundation for the United States of America as solid as the rock from which their figures were carved.” (Source: National Park Service web site.)

How - Sculptor Gutzon Borglum created a plaster model from which measurements were taken using the pointing system. On October 4, 1927 the first actual work of carving began. Dynamite was used to remove rock from the mountain until there was only a thin, three to six inch (roughly 15 cm) layer of granite left. This final layer of granite was removed by a process called "honeycombing." Then the surface was worked smooth with a bumper tool. This left the faces as smooth as a sidewalk. Work began on Mount Rushmore with George Washington. His head was first carved in an egg shape, and his
features added later. Thomas Jefferson was started on Washington's right. After about two years of working on Jefferson, the granite was found to be badly cracked and Jefferson had to be blasted off the mountain. He was started again on the left side of Washington.

When - Washington's face was dedicated on July 4, 1934, Thomas Jefferson's in 1936, Abraham Lincoln's in 1937, and Theodore Roosevelt’s in 1939. For two more years the work continued on the mountain. Details and finishing touches were made. In March of 1941 Borglum suddenly died and his son, Lincoln, took over the project for the next seven months, until funding ran out. The carving of Mount Rushmore was shut down and the presidential faces were complete as they stood.

By the Numbers - The Presidents' faces are 60 feet (18.3 m) high. Today, more than 2.7 million people visit Mt. Rushmore each year, making it one of the most popular monuments in the United States.