Mt. Rushmore National Memorial is a huge mountain sculpture of four US Presidents, located near Keystone, in the Black Hills of South Dakota. The Presidents depicted are: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. These four Presidents were chosen to represent the founding, growth and preservation of the United States. The work was designed by the sculptor John Gutzon Borglum (March 25, 1871- March 6, 1941).

The Construction of Mt. Rushmore: The monument was sculpted by Borglum and about 400 stone workers. Construction began on August 10, 1927 (President Coolidge attended the dedication that day). Funding was provided by private donations and the Federal Government.

The sculpting was done by first blasting away tons of rock with dynamite. Workers then sat in hanging "swing seats," and used jackhammers, drills, hammers, and other tools to do the finishing work. Bad weather and a lack of funding slowed work; although it took 14 years to finish the project, work was done for only about 6 of those years.

After Borglum's death, soon before the sculpture was done, the completion of the giant sculpture was overseen by his son, Lincoln Borglum. The monument was completed in 1941 (after Borglum's death).

Geology of the Area: The rock of Mt. Rushmore consists of outcroppings of fine-grained granite (a hard, light-colored, igneous rock - volcanic rock that has cooled) and some mica schist (a type of crystalline metamorphic rock). The light-colored granite of Mt. Rushmore contrasts with darker layers of mica schist. Mt. Rushmore is the northeastern edge of the Harney Peak Granite Batholith (a batholith is a huge body of igneous rock that solidified under the earth).

Facts and Figures about Mt. Rushmore:

Sculptor	John Gutzon de la Mothe Borglum
Presidents depicted	George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln
Height of the faces	60 feet from chin to forehead (as tall as a 6-floor building)
Width of an eye	11 feet
Elevation of Mt. Rushmore	5,725 feet
Dates of Construction	From 1927 to 1941
Location	The Black Hills of South Dakota (near Keystone SD)

Related Pages:

Mt. Rushmore Coloring Printout Color Mt. Rushmore and read about it.	South Dakota South Dakota is a state in the United States of America. Its capital is Pierre.	Symbols of the USA A page on some of the many symbols that represent the United States of America.
Washington, George George Washington (Feb. 22, 1732-December 14, 1799) was a Revolutionary War hero and the first President of the United States; he served two terms as President. Color a picture of George Washington, learn about his life, and take quizzes on his life.	Jefferson, Thomas Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) wrote the Declaration of Independence and was the third president of the USA, serving from 1801 to 1809. Color a picture of Thomas Jefferson, learn about his life, and take quizzes on his life.	Lincoln, Abraham Abraham Lincoln was the 16th president of the United States of America (from 1861-1865) and one of the greatest presidents. Lincoln helped abolish slavery in the United States. Color a picture of Abraham Lincoln, learn about his life, and take quizzes on his life.