Robinson's initial idea was to sculpt the Needles; however, Gutzon Borglum rejected the Needles site and chose the larger Mount Rushmore. Borglum also decided the sculpture should have a more national focus, and chose the four presidents whose likenesses would be carved into the mountain. After securing federal funding, construction on the memorial began in 1927, and the presidents' faces were completed between 1934 and 1939. Upon Gutzon Borglum's death in March 1941, his son Lincoln Borglum took over construction. Though the initial concept called for each president to be depicted from head to waist, lack of funding forced construction to end in October 1941.
"Until the wind and the rain alone shall wear them away." Go the words of Gutzon Borglum, on the long lasting nature of his renowned work, Mt. Rushmore.
Mount Rushmore stands as a ‘shrine of Democracy’, in South Dakota. It has commemorated four epoch-making presidents of America. It typifies the first 150 years of the history of United States of America. It is a huge granite sculpture by Gutzon Borglum. Mt. Rushmore history dates back to 1923. Mount Rushmore continues to remain the most popular tourist spot in South Dakota.