Mount Rushmore

I have always wanted to visit Mount Rushmore.  Seeing the faces of the four presidents carved into the granite face of the mountain is quite an impressive sight.  How did such a monumental event even come to be?

Mount Rushmore got its name quite innocently.  A lawyer from New York, Charles E. Rushmore, was visiting a local tin mine in the Black Hills when he asked a friend what the name of the mountain was.  His friend laughed and said it had no name – and then gave it Rushmore’s name.  Ever since, it has been called Mount Rushmore.  Amazingly, the mountain was officially given the name in 1930, some 45 years after Charles E. Rushmore made his visit to South Dakota in 1885.  Perhaps out of a sense of responsibility, Rushmore actually gave the largest donation to the project of sculpting the mountain.  He gave $5000.  It may not seem like much, but back in the 1920s and 30s, this was a small fortune. (Remember the Stock Market Crash of 1929? Most people had lost all their money then).

Doane Robinson was the main person responsible for this monument called the Shrine of Democracy.  He wanted to create a reason for tourists to come visit South Dakota and the Black Hills.  He learned about the sculptor, Gutzon Borglum, who was working on a similar project in Georgia.  When that project fell through, he convinced Borglum to come to South Dakota to come see the area.  Robinson was the main person responsible for collecting funds to complete the project.

Gutzon Borglum was the sculptor.  He was nearly 60 years old when he began working on the Shrine of Democracy.  Born in March of 1867, Borglum started his own studio in California.  His first memorable sculpture was of General John C. Fremont.  He then traveled to Europe for many years.  In 1901, he returned to the United States.  Other works of his include the bronze equestrian sculpture of General Phil Sheridan in Washington, DC, and the Bust of Lincoln in the Rotunda of the Capitol.  He was asked to sculpt a statue of Lee, Jackson, and Davis on the Stone Mountain in Georgia.  Far too many problems arose and the project was scrapped after he finished Lee’s face.  The project was never finished and Lee’s face was destroyed.  It was Doane Robinson who brought Borglum to South Dakota.


Many people do not read about the chief stone carver under Borglum.  His name was Luigi Del Bianco.  He met Borglum early on in the design process of Mount Rushmore.  He assisted Borglum with the Governor Hancock Memorial in South Carolina, the Stone Mountain in Georgia (before Borglum stopped working on it), and the Wars of America Memorial in Newark, New Jersey.   His job was to carve the main features of the presidents.  He did Lincoln's eyes and Jefferson's face.  He worked on the monument until the funds ran out. 

The project was agreed upon in 1924 and received the backing of Congress with the help of Congressman William Williamson and Senator Peter Norbeck.  Finally, after getting Congress to agree to allocate funds, the sculpture was started in 1927.  Mount Rushmore took 14 years to complete, and even then it was not finished the way Borglum wanted.  He wanted the figures to be from the waist to the head, but after his death in 1941, funding was not forthcoming.  His son put on the finishing touches, but the rest of the bodies were never completed.

Calvin Coolidge was president at the time and insisted on having two Democrats and one more Republican in addition to George Washington.  So, why the other three?  Of course we all understand why George Washington – he was the father of our country; our first president; and he was the commander-in-chief of the American forces during the Revolutionary War.  Thomas Jefferson was the main author of the Declaration of Independence – the document which guides countries to this day in setting up their own democracy.  He was also instrumental in the Louisiana Purchase, the parcel of land that doubled the size of our country.  Abraham Lincoln was chosen because he helped mend a broken country and keep it from self-destructing.  He abolished slavery so all men were free.  Finally, Theodore Roosevelt was chosen because his influence helped our country move into the 20^th century.  He helped construct the Panama Canal which linked the east coast of our country to west coast.  Finally, he was known as a trust buster – keeping companies from gaining too much power.

Some final quick facts:

Mount Rushmore cost $989 million to construct.

The granite was chosen because it only erodes one inch every 10,000 years.

George Washington’s head was completed and dedicated on July 4, 1934.

Thomas Jefferson was supposed to be on the other side but the granite was not good enough.  His head was completed in 1936.

Abraham Lincoln’s head was completed on September 17, 1937.

Theodore Roosevelt’s head was finished in 1939.

Did you know there was a campaign to add Susan B. Anthony’s head to the group?  They could never raise the funds to do so.

The sculpture took 14 years to complete.

The statues are 60 feet high.  Each nose is 20 feet long.  The mouths are 18 feet wide, and the eyes are 11 feet across.
Once World War II broke out in 1942, funds were scarce and the memorial could not be finished.

A great link for Mount Rushmore is run by the National Park Services. 

Arlington National Cemetery

When I was updating my “What Happened Today” post on my other blog “Revolutionary, My Dear George”, I saw a small entry about Arlington National Cemetery.  When I visited Washington, DC last summer with Mrs. Cochrane and Mrs. Gibson, we traveled to Arlington.  We were moved by the solemnity of the place and moved by the sacrifice of thousands of men and women who are buried here. With all of this in mind, I thought I would write about how Arlington National Cemetery came to be.  Long before it was cemetery, the land belonged to a family you might recognize – George Washington Parke Custis – the adopted son of George Washington. 

Custis home atop the hill overlooking Arlington National Cemetery

Arlington National Cemetery is located across the Potomac River from Washington, DC.  More than 300,000 veterans from every American war is buried here, even the American Revolution.

As I mentioned above, the area/land used to belong to George Washington Parke Custis.  Many do not know George Washington Parke Custis.  The land actually belonged to his father, John Parke Custis, who bought the land in 1778.  He was going to build an estate on the land after the Revolutionary War.  Unfortunately, he contracted swamp fever while stationed at Yorktown and the land was held in trust for his young son.  His son and daughter were adopted by George and Martha Washington, who raised them.  When George Washington Parke Custis turned 21, he inherited the land.  He originally wanted to name the land after his grandfather, but changed the name to Arlington in honor of the family’s ancestral estate in the tidewater area. Arlington House was built in 1802 by George Washington Parke Custis.  He lived here with his wife, Mary.  The house was built in stages and finished in 1818.  He adored his grandfather and spent considerable funds purchasing items that once belonged to him. His daughter Mary Anna married Robert E. Lee in 1831.  When her father died in 1857, she inherited the estate and all its holdings. The couple lived at Arlington House until 1861 when Lee took over command of the Confederate Army.  At this time, his wife, Mary Anna went to live elsewhere, knowing to remain there would be too dangerous.  When she left, she sent several portraits of her great grandfather, George Washington, to family members for safe keeping.  Other memorabilia was stored in the attic or basement. When federal troops took up residence, she sent them a letter, asking that the belongings be taken care of in memory of George Washington, but her pleas were ignored. The house was ransacked and many artifacts were destroyed.

The federal government repossessed the land over failure to pay taxes (although how Robert E. Lee could pay taxes during the war seems a bit dramatic to me). It was put up for auction and purchased by the tax commissioner to be used by the government. The Union Army took over the house and turned it into a military headquarters.  The surrounding grounds became a camp for Union troops. 

In 1864, the land was turned into a military cemetery by Edwin Stanton, the Secretary of War.  Apparently, it was designated as a cemetery by Quartermaster General Meigs who wanted to be sure Lee never returned to the site. The body count continued to mount and if you have ever been to DC or Virginia, you know the humidity can be quite dreadful.  The bodies had to be buried immediately or risk a terrible plague. Many believe Meigs despised the South and he served under Lee in 1838, resenting him. (of course, this is mere speculation).  According to records, the first burial was Private William Henry Christman of Pennsylvania.  According to another report, the first burial was a Confederate prisoner of war. Approximately 3800 freed slaves who died while living at the Freedman’s Village are buried here.  Confederate soldiers were first buried in civilian graves but were later reintered in marked graves with pointed headstones to signify they were in the Confederacy. Many believe the reason for such hasty burials also occurred because many were too poor to pay for the bodies to be shipped home to families across the United States.  For many years after the Civil War, the Confederate widows tried to go and decorate the graves of their loved ones but were turned away.  Many found ways to pay for these soldiers to be removed from the cemetery and taken back home so they could be buried with dignity.

Years later in 1882, Robert E. Lee’s son, George Washington Custis Lee, petitioned the government to reparations.  He was upset the family estate was confiscated.  He finally won $150,000 in compensation from the government.  The land was given back to the Lee family, but then Congress purchased it from Custis.

The Tomb of the Unknowns contains the remains of three unidentified service members – from World War I, World War II, and the Korean War.  Three Greek figures representing Peace, Victory, and Valor grace the tomb.  The tomb is guarded by the 3^rd US Infantry, known as the Old Guard, because it is the oldest active duty infantry unit in the Army.

The Civil War Unknown Monument was the first monument to unknown soldiers.  It was dedicated in 1866 and holds the remains of 2,111 soldiers from Bull Run.  Many believe it holds the remains of both Union and Confederate soldiers.

Two former presidents – William Howard Taft and John F. Kennedy are buried here. 

 

The Memorial Amphitheater is inscribed with the words “Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori” which means “It is sweet and fitting to die for one’s country”.  I do not think anyone could say it better.  With Memorial Day coming soon, it is important to remember all who died for our country, from those first days to today – any man or woman who offers their life for their country should be commended.  We thank them for their sacrifice, for their bravery, but most of all, we thank them for their belief that this great country is worth fighting for.  You will always be remembered.  You will always be honored.

The Lincoln Memorial

The Lincoln Memorial is probably one of the United States most recognized memorials.  Seen in movies and television shows, it looms in the distance and gives an awe-inspiring sense of patriotism. Everyone knows the famous speech by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr – “I have a dream” took place on the steps before this memorial.  Located on the National Mall, this memorial was designed to honor our 16^th president – Abraham Lincoln. It, of course only seems right the speech would take place before the very man who fought to keep our country together over the issue of slavery.  Oh, many will argue the real reason was state rights, but at the heart of this issue of state rights was the right to decide if the stated wanted to be slave or free. The country was being torn apart as each territory became a state and had to declare itself one or the other.  Each side was afraid of losing the balance of power.  There seemed to be this overwhelming need to keep the number the same.  As in Bloody Kansas, people died for it. When you walk into the Lincoln Memorial and look up into the eyes of Abraham Lincoln, you see the anguish and fatigue in his eyes.  The weight of the country is on his shoulders, but sitting in that chair, you sense his willingness to take on this enormous issue and correct what men tried to fix during the writing of the Declaration of Independence.  Back then, learned men such as Thomas Jefferson fought to have slavery included in the declaration – the make all men free, but was asked to remove it from the document – the men afraid the document would not pass if such a point was included.  Abraham Lincoln had no such qualms – for over 80 years our young country battled with the idea of slavery and abolishing it.  Once he was elected, states seceded from the Union – sensing what was on the horizon and determined to fight President Lincoln every step of the way.

Lincoln’s assassination shocked the badly battered nation.  In 1867, the Lincoln Monument Association was started by Congress to build a memorial to our slain president. Unfortunately it wasn’t until 1902 that a location was chosen on a piece of swampland.  Architect Henry Bacon was chosen to design the building and Daniel Chester French was chosen to make the main statue of Lincoln.  The first stone was set on February 12, 1914.  Eight years later, the monument was dedicated with Lincoln’s only surviving child – Robert Todd Lincoln present for the ceremony.  The monument has every appearance of a Greek Doric temple.  The 36 columns were said to be representative of the 25 states in the Union and the 11 southern states that seceded.  Each of the 36 states’ names are inscribed above each column in the order they joined the union.  The remaining 22 states were carved on the attic walls in the same way – in order of when they joined the union.  Finally, a plaque in front of the monument commemorates when Hawaii and Alaska joined the union in 1959. 

At the moment, the reflecting pool before the memorial is gone.  Dredged up because of filtration problems, a new one is being designed and will replace it soon.  Inside the monument the famous words of the Gettysburg Address are inscribed on the south wall.  Those words – spoke on November 19, 1863 send shivers down the spine.

“Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all  men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation, conceived and so dedicated, can long endure.  We are met on a great battlefield of that war.  We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who gave their lives that that nation might live.  It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.  But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate – we can not consecrate – we cannot hallow – this ground.  The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract.  The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.  It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced.  It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us – that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion – that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain – that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom – and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” 

On the opposite wall is Lincoln’s second inaugural address.  Above both are murals by Jules Guerin that show an angel freeing a slave and the unity of the North and South.  Behind Lincoln’s head are the following words:  In this temple as in the hearts of the people for whom he saved the union the memory of Abraham Lincoln is enshrined forever.

Library of Congress

Imagine our surprise when we first walked into the Library of Congress!  Not like any library we had ever been in before, the enormity of it was nothing compared to the ornateness. Before I share some of the beautiful architecture and paintings we saw, let's investigate the history of this magnificent structure in our nation's capital.

Righty, American, and Lefty enjoyed the view

This is where we entered the building for our tour

Our first view of the beautiful arched ceilings

many famous authors and poets have their names in the ceiling

the fabulous skylight in the center courtyard

our view from the courtyard

stained glass window

The Library of Congress was started during John Adams' term as president. An Act of Congress allowed them to purchase 740 books and 3 maps from London.  Unfortunately the collection was destroyed during the War of 1812 when the British set fire to the building.  All 3000 books and documents were destroyed, but thanks to Thomas Jefferson, the Library of Congress continued.  He donated his personal library of over 6,000 books. It became the national library and soon gained 40,000 books from the Smithsonian.  Unfortunately, in1851 a large fire destroyed 2/3s of the books including many of Thomas Jefferson's original books.  Thanks to Congress, nearly $200,000 was given to replace the destroyed collection.

Part of the balustrade in the center

looking up to the beautiful mosaic ceiling

reminds us of the Sun King doesn't it?

these arched ceilings are all mosaic tiles

We found Mrs. Gibson's name immortalized!

Before long, the Library of Congress held more than just books.  Official government documents were transferred there, including many from the Founding Fathers.  The library diversified and began to obtain books from around the world, music, a Gutenberg Bible, and much, much more.  In 1965, Congress established a program to accept endowments and donations from wealthy men such as John D. Rockefeller.

sayings such as this are etched everywhere

look at this view!

ceiling arch painting

art deco elevator doors

doesn't this make you feel small?

The Library continued to expand over the years, and additional buildings were added to house the expanding collections.  The Library of Congress even has a copyright office where new manuscripts arrive daily to be copyrighted.  Even Mrs. Hoffman has several books in the Library of Congress that have registered copyrights. There are more the 838 miles of bookshelves in the LOC, more than any library in the world.  The three main buildings are the Thomas Jefferson, the John Adams, and the James Madison.

saying under the windows

doric columns

mosaic floor

design on the marble walls

you know you want to sit down!

A great interactive site - www.americaslibrary.gov will take you on a tour of some fascinating facts in American history.  For example, you can meet amazing Americans, jump back in time, explore the states, see how people play, or check out things we see, hear, or sing like animation.  It's a great site to explore - all compliments to the Library of Congress.

So many beautiful pictures, it was hard to choose

this artist used his wife as inspiration

intriguing portrait of Minerva

If you are doing research, just go to www.loc.gov to discover primary sources to enhance your reports or lessons in the classroom.  There is so much information, it's difficult to enumerate all of them.  Trust us when we say, take a tour of the site and you will be just as fascinated as we are.

The original building was designed by two Washington architects - John L. Smithmeyer and Paul J. Pelz. Unfortunately, they were fired because of continued delays and Congress hired a civil engineer - Bernard Richard Green and Brigadier General Thomas Lincoln Casey to complete the task.  They not only finished the construction but did it under budget and returned $150,000 to Congress.

Right, American, Lefty, and Mrs. Cochrane - On Top of the World

Our Nation's Capitol

the Capitol Building

If you are like me you always wondered how do we know to spell our nation’s Capitol with an “o” and yet when we speak about Washington, DC, we say it is our country’s capital.  I read an interesting article about how to know which to use – the “o” or the “a”.  If you are referring to the building – think of the round dome – then you know you spell it with an “o”. Otherwise, when you are speaking about the location you use an “a”.  This is a great assistance to a teacher who must write it on the board and every time we see it, we wonder – Did we write it correctly?  Now you know how to figure this out.

Where we met our tour guide - the Visitor's Center

Now, back to the information today – Our Nation’s Capitol.  Did you know before Washington, DC was decided upon as the capital, our government met in 8 different cities? Congress met in Philadelphia, Annapolis, Baltimore, Lancaster, York, Princeton, Trenton, and even New York City. Imagine the difficulty the men had traveling to different cities during those early years when Congress needed to meet and decide upon laws and other legislation. In 1783, Congress decided to stop all this unnecessary traveling about and pick one location to meet from then on.  In the first Article of the Constitution, Congress was given the power to govern the decided upon location and, after Maryland and Virginia gave up land for the location, Washington, DC came into being.  We all know it was named after George Washington, our first president and Christopher Columbus who was responsible for bringing the first people to the Americas.

Today, September 18, 1793, George Washington laid the foundation stone of the famous building we all recognize as our nation’s capitol building. Washington helped chose the commissioners for the job, who then hired the French engineer, Charles L’Enfant to design the city.  He chose Jenkins’ Hill as the site of Congress’ new home because he said the site was “a pedestal waiting for a monument”.  Unfortunately, he would not give Congress any pictures of his designs so he was dismissed.  Thomas Jefferson held a competition and offered $500 to the winning design.   None of the plans submitted were liked, which proved the men knew what they wanted but obviously the designers did not.  Finally Dr. William Thornton, a Scottish physician asked if he could send in his plan and the commission agreed.  WOW!  They liked it! His design had three sections – a central section with a dome and two side sections – north and south – one for the Senate and one for the Representatives. On April 5, 1793 the plan was approved.  Finally, the men would have a central location to meet and discuss the laws of the land.

Walls of the Rotunda - friezes and pictures

Native Americans

Three architects were chosen, but only one saw the first phase completed because the other two kept changing the designs. The actual building was made of sandstone which had to be shipped from quarries in Virginia, the workers had to leave their homes and there was little money because we were a new country with little funds.  In 1796, only part of the building was finished.  So here it was three years later and only a small portion was done, but at least the men had a place to meet. More money needed to be allocated or the building could not be completed.  Finally in 1803, Congress agreed to set aside funds to finish the construction.  Just imagine – this was 10 years later!  Just what were our senators and representatives doing all this time? Where were they meeting?

plaque where Lincoln's desk sat

Henry Latrobe was asked to help finish the work. He made some modifications and soon the south wing was completed enough that the House could meet there.  In the meantime, the north wing was falling apart because it was taking so long.  He had to redesign the structure and  make it more suitable for its purposes.  Then along comes the War of 1812 and no more work could be done. Funds were needed to fight the war, so work on the Capitol had to stop.  Latrobe left.  The British set fire to the building on August 24, 1814.  Thank goodness it started to rain or the building would have been completely destroyed.  Latrobe was called back after the war and set to work restoring and continuing his work on the structure.  Unfortunately, he resigned in 1817, unable to complete his project because of numerous construction delays. 

His predecessor was Charles Bulfinch. He worked on the Capitol for nearly ten years. He designed the gardens and landscaping as well as worked on the dome.  If not for the interference of President James Monroe and John Quincy Adams, the dome would not be so high.  It is hard to imagine that the building was not big enough for the all the senators and congressmen from the new states.  Another competition had to be held to design additions to the building for the new men who were coming.  The sandstone used before would not work – it deteriorated so the new architect chose marble. The wings were extended and the old House chamber became the National Statuary Hall.  The Civil War halted construction once more.  The building was used as a barracks for soldiers, a military hospital, and a bakery (hmmm, this sounds interesting, doesn’t it?)  

The dome needed to be fixed and it was replaced by a cast-iron dome. The Statue of Freedom was designed and weighed nearly 15,000 pounds. Thomas Walter, an architect from Philadelphia was the final designer who helped finish all these last parts. And yet, the building was still not completed.  Marble terraces were added.  More than 100 years from the time Washington set the first foundation stone, the Capitol was completed although work continued to be done on it yearly.  Fireproofing was done, roofs had be to fixed, heat had to be piped in, air conditioning and lighting were added and more.  When advances were made in technology, those changes needed to be made in the Capitol. Even today, changes have been made.  In 2008, the Visitor’s Center was added to allow visitors to come and be given tours of this historic building.

See the burns from the War of 1812?

So what are some of cool parts of the Capitol?  All of them!!!

The dome – made of cast iron and built between 1855-1866.

The Dome and the statue of Freedom on top

The Rotunda – it’s the circular room that has famous statues and beautiful fresco paintings.

The Old Supreme Court Chamber – this is where our Supreme Court met from 1810-1860.  It’s a dark room in the shape of a semi-circle.

The Old Supreme Court

Supreme Court Room

The National Statuary Hall (which used to be the Old Hall of the House).  You can see plaques on the floor where men sat – like Abraham Lincoln.  Every state can sent 2 statues of important men from their history to be in the Hall.  This is where Mrs. Hoffman found her relative – Richard Stockton from New Jersey.

Eisenhower

Gerald Ford

Thomas Jefferson

William Beadle

Sam Houston

Sequoya

Jefferson Davis

Alexander Hamilton Stephens

Frances E. Willard from Illinois

Ronald Reagan 

Richard Stockton from New Jersey

The Brumidi Corridors – These beautifully designed corridors on the first floor of the Senate bring to mind the halls of Versailles.  The corridors are named for the Italian artist – Constantino Brumidi, who designed the murals and decorated the rooms for 25 years until he died in 1880.

If you want to read a more in-depth history of the Capitol building, go to www.aoc.gov and you will find tons of information as well as an interactive look at the Capitol building.