Stone Mountain

Stone Mountain sits just a few miles east of Atlanta. It is a state park honoring the stone carving of three Confederate hero's.

Although the carving is the main attraction, there are hiking trails, biking trails, an amusement park for the kids, a quarry, museum, mill, carillon, lake, covered bridge, Duck boat, Steamboat ride and fishing. You can also take a lift up to the top of the mountain or you can hike it from the back side.

From left to right is Jefferson Davis, Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson, and Robert E. Lee. Larger than Mt. Rushmore (which is only 60 ft high), this relief, carved out of this granite mountain, is 76 ft high and 160 ft wide.

Inside the museum they have replicas made to size. Here I am standing in the mouth of Jefferson Davis' horse.

 Borglam, the man who carved Mt. Rushmore, was originally hired in 1819 to carve the mountain. His design was more elaborate and included carving much more of the mountain. He got one face carved when he got into a money dispute with his employer. He quit. From 1925 - 1928 Agustus Lukeman took over. He scaled down the job; dynamited Borglam's carving off the mountain, and started over. Because of funding problems and Lukeman's death, the project sat uncompleted until 1961, when they finally started work again. It was completed in 1963.

 

This carillon was originally exhibited at the Coca Cola exhibit in the 1964/1965 New York World's Fair. It was brought back and donated to Stone Mountain following the fair.

This lady plays the carillon organ 3 times daily, 5 days a week. It sounds like a huge bell choir playing. I guess it really is a huge bell choir since the carillon consists of some 700+ bells.

The torch was passed here at Stone Mountain.

Made it to the top. Whew! Wouldn't want to do that on a really hot day! I also found out just how much out of shape I am.

It's a long way down. It was from this area they lowered scaffolding for the workers who were carving the relief on the mountain. I decided I wouldn't really want that job.

At the quarry they have this 66,000 lb piece of granite.