Long But Efficient


There were several people working on the monument but the Italian immigrant Luigi Del Blanco was chosen to be Chief Carver for the monument. This man was known for his amazing ability to show emotions and personality in his carvings. To be able to do that in these stones is truly a masterful work of art that most people could not even dream of achieving. To carve these faces, he was going to have to use dynamites and follow a process popularly known as honeycombing.

The Process

Well if you have not heard of honeycombing, let us tell you what it is. The workers would drill small holes so compact that they could remove all the tiny particles by hand. Then, they would make use of a bumper tool or a hand facer. These tools are used for smoothening the surface of the rock. The landmark resulted in the removal of a whopping 450,000 tons of rock from the mountain where it lies. There was a point of panic because Jefferson did not fit.

Complications During Construction

Taking on such a huge task as completing the Mount Rushmore monument, it would be foolish to think that everything went smooth. There were a lot of mishaps and problems that the construction faced while completing the monumental task. To say that thing did go on without hitches would be an utter lie. Originally, Thomas Jefferson was placed on the right side of George Washington and the initial construction was done that way.

Working To Fit All In


But then, there was a problem with the granite. The workers had to dynamite their first attempt at Jefferson and so they had to carve the president on the left side. A lot of people feel as though Jefferson has been squished. Well, that’s actually because he is squished. There was a moment during the site’s construction that the people working on the site felt like he was not going to be able to fit in at all. 

The National Parks Service


As of the year 1933, the National Parks Service had officially taken Mount Rushmore under its wing. In the end, this proved to be extremely helpful in improving the infrastructure and funding for the rest of the project. This made it possible for the faces of Washington, Jefferson, and Lincoln to be in full completion and the site’s plans became successful.

Each President


The whole face of president Washington was done and dedicated in 1934 leaving Jefferson to be finished by 1936. Lastly, President Lincoln’s carving was done in the year 1937. The face of Theodore Roosevelt was continued and finished by the year 1939. There was another thing that took place during the completion of all the faces. Gutzon Borglum had been working on a secret project and this was going to be added to the site after he was done.