Stone Mountain Park: Difference between revisions
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#REDIRECT [[Stone Mountain]] |
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'''Stone Mountain Park''' is an historical site located in [[Stone Mountain, Georgia]], about sixteen miles east of downtown [[Atlanta]]. It is best known for the massive carving of three [[Confederate States of America|Confederate]] heroes of the [[Civil War]]: President [[Jefferson Davis]] and Generals [[Robert E. Lee]] and [[Thomas J. Jackson|Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson]]. |
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==History== |
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The area around Stone Mountain was originally inhabited by the [[Creek (people)|Creek]] and (to a lesser extent) [[Cherokee]] peoples. Europeans first learned of the mountain in 1597, when Spanish explorers were told of a moutain further inland which was "very high, shining when the sun set like a fire." |
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In 1790, it was the site of a meeting initiated by President [[George Washington]], hoping to negotiate a peace treaty with the Creek in 1790. Instead a series of wars ensued, and the Creek were forced to cede the land to the state of [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]] in 1821. |
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In 1838, entrepreneur Aaron Cloud built a 165 foot (50 m) wooden observation tower at the summit of the mountain. It was destroyed in a storm. |
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==Confederate Memorial Carving== |
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In 1915, the [United Daughters of the Confederacy] commissioned [[Gutzon Borglum]] to carve a memorial to the Confederacy on the north face of the mountain. After delays caused by funding and World War I, work began in 1923. With only Lee's head completed, Borglum left the project in 1925 (and would go on to supervise the carving on [[Mount Rushmore]]). [[Augustus Lukeman]] took over, first removing Borglum's work. He had only completed Lee's head when the project was cancelled due to lateness and insufficient funds in 1928. The state government of Georgia revived the project in 1958. In 1964, [[Walker Kirkland Hancock]] resumed work on the sculpture, which was dedicated in 1970, and finishing touches applied in 1972. |
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The carving is described as the largest high relief sculpture in the world. The entire carved surface measures three acres (12,000 m²) and recedes 42 feet (13 m) into the mountain. The carving of the three mounted figures is 400 feet (120 m) above the surrounding plain, 90 feet (27 m) high and 190 feet (58 m) wide. At its deepest point, Lee's elbow extends 12 feet (4 m) from the mountain surface behind it. |
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==Other features== |
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Stone Mountain Park occupies 3200 acres (13 km²), including the exposed granite of Stone Mountain itself. It features recreational facilities for tennis, golf, fishing, hiking and camping; woodlands, lakes, and nature trails; educational programs; and on-site lodging. It is located on Highway 78. |
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==External links== |
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*[http://www.stonemountainpark.com Stone Mountain Park website] |
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*[http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=33.805017,-84.144545&spn=0.040426,0.058107&t=k&hl=en Satellite image from Google] |
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[[Category:US mountain monuments]] |
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{{Georgia state parks}} |
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Latest revision as of 20:01, 19 July 2005
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