The Cost


After many years of non-stop planning and building, on October 31, 1941, the Mount Rushmore National Memorial became a completed project. It had been long overdue and it was finally completed after so much effort and time. All in all the whole project cost $989,992.32. This was considerably lesser than the amount they would have to spend if they kept going on to complete some of the originals designs.

No Deaths

One truly tremendous achievement about the construction of this monument was that there was not a single death of any workers taking part in building this project. The job to complete this site was indeed risky and tough, but in the end, no one died. In 1966, Mount Rushmore made it on the list of the National Register of Historic Places, and in 1991, President H.W. Bush officially dedicated Mount Rushmore. After a few years went by, Gutzon Borglum’s wish would finally be realized.

The Hall Was Eventually Completed


Even though Gutzon Borglum’s original plans for the Hall of Records seemed to vanish with him in 1941, his dream did not die out. So on August 8, 1998, the tunnel was commemorated to a smaller Hall of Records than planned. This was far from the amazing plans that Gutzon had, but at least it was not completely written off. A repository of records was also kept in the entry of the hall. It was kept on a teakwood box inside a titanium vault and covered by a granite capstone.

Borglum’s Words

There was a quote of Gutzon inscribed on the capstone which says“..let us place there, carved high, as close to heaven as we can, the words of our leaders, their faces, to show posterity what manner of men they were. Then breathe a prayer that these records will endure until the wind and rain alone shall wear them away.”
But do you know what was actually kept inside the vault?

Gutzon Borglum Still Got His Records


So in the vault and box, sixteen porcelain panels had been kept. On the panels, the story of Mount Rushmore’s creation was written. There was also writings about the person who carved it, and the reason behind each of the presidents being there too. The panels also consist of a short history of the United States for anyone who discovers it, to know a little more about the country’s past and achievements. There is also an engraving of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.

A Time Capsule

These days the entrance to the hall has been covered behind a 1,200-pound granite slab to keep away from unwanted entries and also to keep it undisturbed. This is done so as the tunnel is not for us to go in and out however we please. It is supposed to serve as a time capsule for the people thousands of years in the future who found themselves discovering the historical site by chance.