This Is The Most Hidden Part Of The Famous Mount Rushmore Monument That Few People Know About

Written by Fabio Lucas Carvalho

Published on 13/01/2025 at 14:07

Updated on 13/01/2025 at 14:08

Foto: Reprodução

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Behind Abraham Lincoln’s Head At Mount Rushmore, There Is A Secret Chamber Called Hall Of Records.

The Mount Rushmore National Memorial is one of the most iconic symbols of the history and culture of the United States. Located in Pennington County, South Dakota, the monument was authorized on March 3, 1925.

Construction began in August 1927, under the leadership of sculptor Gutzon Borglum, and was officially completed on October 31, 1941, a few months after Borglum’s death on March 6 of that year.

Although the initial planning was grand, the project ended more simply due to lack of funding.

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The “Sanctuary Of Democracy”

In addition to the visual impact, Borglum had a larger vision for Mount Rushmore. He envisioned it as a “Sanctuary of Democracy,” a place that would preserve American values and history for future generations.

Part of this plan included the Hall of Records, a secret chamber designed to hold essential documents, such as the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.

The idea was to create a gallery 24 meters high and 30 meters long, accessed by a granite staircase over 240 meters long.

Excavations for the Hall of Records began in July 1938, but just over a year later, Congress ordered that the focus remain solely on the presidents’ sculptures, halting work in 1939.

Even so, 21 meters were excavated, leaving an unfinished chamber behind Lincoln’s face.

Today, the Hall of Records is not open to the public, but it still bears the marks left by workers in the 1930s.

Rare photos from the National Park Service reveal the interior of the chamber, a space that maintains the almost mystical atmosphere of Borglum’s original design.

Posthumous Achievement

Decades after Borglum’s death, on August 9, 1998, part of his vision was realized. A storage room was installed at the entrance of the Hall of Records.

This room contains a titanium vault protected by a granite slab, inscribed with a phrase from the sculptor:
“Let us put there, sculpted high, as close to the sky as we can, the words of our leaders, their faces, to show posterity what kind of men they were.”

Inside the vault, there are sixteen panels of enameled porcelain narrating the story of Mount Rushmore, the significance of the represented presidents, and a brief timeline of the U.S.

These panels were designed to withstand the test of time, preserving the nation’s memory for generations yet to come.

Mount Rushmore – An Incomplete But Timeless Monument

Although Mount Rushmore was not completed as Borglum envisioned, it has become a lasting symbol of American values.

The meticulous work of the sculptors, combined with Borglum’s grand vision, continues to attract millions of visitors annually. Even the less-known aspects, such as the Hall of Records, contribute to the fascination surrounding this historic landmark.

Behind the monumental granite face, there is more than just art and technique; there is a narrative of perseverance, ambition, and the quest to leave a legacy that defies time.

This Is The Most Hidden Part Of The Famous Mount Rushmore Monument That Few People Know About

Behind Abraham Lincoln’s Head At Mount Rushmore, There Is A Secret Chamber Called Hall Of Records.

The “Sanctuary Of Democracy”

Posthumous Achievement

Mount Rushmore – An Incomplete But Timeless Monument

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This Is The Most Hidden Part Of The Famous Mount Rushmore Monument That Few People Know About

Behind Abraham Lincoln’s Head At Mount Rushmore, There Is A Secret Chamber Called Hall Of Records.

The “Sanctuary Of Democracy”

Posthumous Achievement

Mount Rushmore – An Incomplete But Timeless Monument

A giant printer called the “Ferrari” of concrete has landed in Latin America and can already build a 120-square-meter house in just 48 hours, making the traditional construction site look like something from the last century.

Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt has ceased to be a climatic phenomenon and has become a biological system that feeds on itself, with 8,000 kilometers in length, 37 million tons of algae, and scientists confirm that it is now permanent.

A British company has installed in the middle of the ocean the world’s first floating platform that generates electricity 24 hours a day from the temperature difference between the surface and the depths of the Atlantic, without relying on wind or sun.

Brazil will harvest a record crop of up to 357 million tons of grains, but it does not have the capacity to store a large part of it. The storage deficit has reached the highest level in history and is equivalent to almost the entire production of Argentina.

Engineers had to pour concrete mixed with tons of ice throughout entire nights in the Dubai desert to erect the Burj Khalifa; any carelessness could clog the pipes half a mile high.

The James Webb telescope spotted a planet 700 light-years from Earth with mornings full of sand clouds and nights with clear skies, the temperature difference between the two hemispheres reaches an impressive 170 degrees.

Almost five times faster than the Concorde, capable of exceeding 100 km in altitude at more than Mach 10 and taking off from airports without a launch platform, the Aurora from Polaris went from seven demonstrators and 250 test flights to accelerate the race for reusable space planes.

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