HISTORY

Carved into the granite face of South Dakota’s Black Hills, Mount Rushmore National Memorial was conceived in the early 1920s as a way to attract visitors and celebrate key figures in American history. Sculptor Gutzon Borglum began work in 1927, selecting Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln to represent the nation’s founding, expansion, development, and preservation. Over 400 workers used dynamite, drills, and chisels to shape the 60-foot faces that would become one of America’s most recognized monuments.

Construction continued for 14 years and ended in 1941, shortly after Borglum’s death. Though originally intended to include full busts, the project halted when funding ran out, leaving the four presidential faces as we know them today. Mount Rushmore stands not only as a tribute to these leaders but also as a symbol of American ambition and unity — a monumental reminder of the ideals that helped shape the United States.