Where are the 42 abandoned presidential statues? Uncovering the Mystery of the Fallen Giants
For many Americans, the idea of abandoned presidential statues conjures images of a forgotten history, silent sentinels left to the elements. But where exactly are these monumental figures, and what led to their "abandonment"? The answer, as with many things in history, is a bit more nuanced than a simple geographical location. The story of the 42 abandoned presidential statues is primarily the story of a failed ambitious art project and the scattering of its monumental, and ultimately problematic, creations.
The Genesis of the Presidential Mountain Project
The story begins with a visionary, albeit ultimately unsuccessful, project conceived by sculptor John Knife and commissioned by a South Dakota businessman named Bob Waggoner. The grand vision was to carve the heads of 42 U.S. presidents into the side of a mountain in the Black Hills of South Dakota. This ambitious undertaking, dubbed "Presidential Mountain," was intended to be a colossal tribute to American leadership, dwarfing even Mount Rushmore in scale.
The Dream and the Reality
Work began in 1990, with the first statue, of Lyndon B. Johnson, being blasted into the rock face. However, the dream quickly collided with reality. Funding dried up, legal disputes arose, and the sheer logistical and financial challenges of such an immense undertaking proved insurmountable. By 1998, the project had officially been declared a failure, leaving behind incomplete carvings and a lingering question: what happened to the statues?
The "Abandoned" Statues: A Scattered Legacy
The term "abandoned" in this context doesn't necessarily mean they were left to crumble in place. Instead, it refers to the unfinished state and the subsequent relocation of some of the completed or partially completed figures. The original site, now known as the "Presidential Mountain" site, still bears the scars of the ambitious project. However, the most prominent surviving figures were not left to the wind and rain.
Relocation and Rediscovery
The most famous survivors of the Presidential Mountain project are the 43-foot tall fiberglass statues of past presidents, originally intended to be placed on the mountainside. These statues, some completed and others in various states of disrepair, were eventually purchased by the owner of the miniature golf course and tourist attraction "Storybook Land" in Watertown, South Dakota. There, they were set up as a quirky roadside attraction, standing in their own right as silent witnesses to a grand but failed vision.
The Fate of Other Statues
While the fiberglass statues found a new home, the fate of other potential carvings or smaller models is less definitively documented. The original plan involved sculpting the heads directly into the mountain. The "abandonment" refers to the cessation of this process, leaving the mountain face with only partial and incomplete impressions of presidential visages. Some smaller pieces or models might have been stored or disposed of, but the primary "abandoned" artifacts are the completed fiberglass statues and the unfinished carvings on the mountainside.
What Remains Today?
Today, the original Presidential Mountain site in South Dakota is largely a forgotten testament to ambition. The unfinished carvings are still visible on the rock face, a stark reminder of what could have been. The fiberglass statues, however, have found a new life at Storybook Land, offering a peculiar and intriguing glimpse into a chapter of American art and ambition that never quite reached its intended monumental scale.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How did the Presidential Mountain project fail?
The project failed primarily due to a lack of sustained funding, legal disputes, and the immense logistical and financial challenges of carving 42 presidential heads into a mountain. The ambitious scope proved to be beyond the project's financial and practical means.
Why were the statues "abandoned"?
The statues were "abandoned" in the sense that the original project was halted before completion. The term refers to the unfinished carvings on the mountain and the subsequent relocation of the completed fiberglass statues when the project was deemed a failure.
Are the statues still on the mountain?
The original mountain carvings are still on the mountainside, albeit unfinished and weathered. However, the completed large-scale fiberglass statues were removed from the mountain and relocated to a tourist attraction in Watertown, South Dakota.
