Mt. Rushmore memorializes the birth, growth, preservation and development of the USA. Between 1927 and 1941, Gutzon Borglum and 400 workers sculpted the 60-foot busts of Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln to represent the first 150 years of American history. Visitors to the memorial come primarily to view the granite sculpture itself, but also of interest is the Sculptor’s Studio built under the direction of the artist, Gutzon Borglum, in 1939. Unique plaster models and tools related to the sculpting process are displayed there.

Recently, ten years of redevelopment word culminated with the completion of extensive new visitor facilities. These include a new

Visitor Center and Museum and the Presidential Trail, a walking trail and boardwalk providing spectacular close-up views of the mountain sculpture.

The memorial serves as home to many animals and plants representative of the Black Hills of South Dakota. The geologic formations of the heart of the Black Hills region are also evident at Mount Rushmore, including large outcrops of granite and mica schist.

After blasting, the features were shaped by workers suspended by cables in swing seats called Bosun chairs. First they used pneumatic drills to honeycomb the granite with closely spaced holes to nearly the depth of the final surface. Excess rock was then chiseled off. Afterwards the men “bumped” away drill holes with pneumatic hammers to create a smooth, white surface. It was at

Some topics in this essay:
Black Hills, Gutzon Borglum, Mt Rushmore, Presidential Trail, Mount Rushmore, Abraham Lincoln, Doane Robinson, Sculptor’s Studio, South Dakota, black hills, mt rushmore, , gutzon borglum,