The Secrets of Rushmore

After 14 years of construction, dynamite, and 400 paid workers, the famous rock that is Mount Rushmore was completed in full glory. Four presidents were honored in the mountain: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt. To viewers, this monument is spectacular and finished to its full potential but if we dig a little deeper, there might just be secrets hiding behind our founding fathers. 

Gutzon Borglum, the mount’s sculptor seems to have had plans for a separate project within this national symbol. Behind Honest Abe's carefully crafted eyebrow is an 18-foot doorway that breaks through the rest of his design, which is said to resemble an ancient tomb entrance. Investigations into this unfinished “chamber” show jack holes and red letters that could very well have been drawn in by Borglum himself, imprinted for future construction processes. This was all cut short by Borglum's death and the takeover of his son. Before his death, Borglum had also envisioned grand staircases leading to a “Hall of Records.” The sculptor seemed to have the intention of leaving behind a mark for generations in the far future, hoping that they might understand the purpose of this mountain and all the history it resembles. 

Although these chambers failed to meet their intended goal it brings up questions that I think are worth asking. Who is to say that Borglum did not succeed in any unknown plans? How would the public know if nothing is hiding in the rocks? Due to safety concerns, visitors are no longer allowed to scale the mountain and investigate for themselves. Is this the truth or a front to conceal something deeper? If the government wished to hide records or even a special message where better to conceal it than in Mount Rushmore? Easy to hide, hard to get to, and not a peaking concern to enemies. 

Gutzon Borglum was not only an artist but was also involved in many political schemes, which included campaigning for one of the presidents in his art, Theodore Rosevelt. Woodrow Willson also appointed him to investigate aircraft manufacturing during World War I. An incredibly educated man, he attended a private school in Kansas as a young boy; he gained a lot of respect and made a lot of connections early on in his artistic career. If any artist were to be in on secret government construction, Borglum certainly had the right connections and the credibility to be trusted. 

We might never know what is hiding behind the familiar faces in the Mount Rushmore National Monument in South Dakota, but next time you visit or see a picture online, look carefully and closely. You might just see something unusual behind our first president's nose.