A ‘Statue of Liberty for the West Coast,’ the entire torsos of the presidents on Mount Rushmore, and a memorial honoring Native Americans are just a few of America’s great monuments that were once planned but never built.
Digital renderings created by NeoMam Studios offer a glimpse into what might have been.
‘We used lost plans and schematics to bring these unbuilt structures to life,’ the company said in a statement.
‘With this project, we aim to teach readers about the history of monuments they know and love, as well as spark their curiosity about unbuilt memorials that had the potential to become famous landmarks across the USA.’
The rendering above shows the Mother’s Memorial, which was planned for Washington, D.C. as a tribute to the women’s suffrage movement. The plan was never realized as the government struggled financially during the Great Depression
One of those unbuilt monuments is the Mother’s Memorial, which would have paid tribute to the women’s suffrage movement.
The memorial, which was conceived in the early 1920s and was planned for Washington, D.C., was supposed to have included a 297-foot high white marble arch built on top of a ziggurat of marble steps which run the length of a football field.
Planners were supposed to build figures atop the arch, including a mother holding a ‘torch of enlightenment.
While the structure appeared impressive on paper, it was never built because the government did not have money available at the time of the Great Depression, according to Smithsonian Magazine.
Another monument that never reached beyond the planning stage was one called Democracy Uniting the World.
What was initially planned as the ‘Statue of Liberty of the West’ envisioned three naked men from different racial groups holding up a giant globe.
The statue, which was set to be built in the San Pedro section of Los Angeles, was intended to inspire Asian nations to become democratic.
Another monument that never came to be was the Liberty Memorial. The structure, which was slated to be built in Kansas City, depicted a ruined acropolis which would have honored the fallen of World War I
The height of the planned structure was 480 feet, which would have surpassed Lady Liberty.
But the structure was never built, as the public did not have much enthusiasm for the project.
Another monument that never came to be was the Liberty Memorial.
The structure, which was slated to be built in Kansas City, depicted a ruined acropolis which would have honored the fallen of World War I.
Another monument that never reached beyond the planning stage was one called Democracy Uniting the World, or ‘the Statue of Liberty of the West,’ which was slated to be built in the San Pedro section of Los Angeles
Had it been built, the Democracy Uniting the World would have towered over Lady Liberty (right)
The design called for a huge central tower with a giant female figure shielded underneath.
But city officials were not satisfied with the design because they felt it wasn’t tall enough.
Instead, the Liberty Memorial was erected in the city in 1926. It forms part of the National World War I Museum and Memorial.
Just over a century ago, the federal government approved plans for a memorial for Native Americans in Staten Island.
In 1913, ground was broken for the National American Indian Memorial.
Just over a century ago, the federal government approved plans for a memorial for Native Americans in Staten Island
In 1913, ground was broken for the National American Indian Memorial. But the start of World War I effectively ended any hopes for the project
The site was supposed to include a museum inspired by the Egyptian Revival style with a 70ft pedestal shaped like a neo-Aztec pyramid on top.
The pyramid was supposed to be topped by a 60ft bronze statue of a Native American.
But the start of World War I effectively ended any hopes for the project.
Finally, there is the Mount Rushmore National Memorial, which features the faces of Presidents George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, and Theodore Roosevelt.
While the monument in South Dakota was built, most Americans are unaware that the project is incomplete.
Finally, there is the Mount Rushmore National Memorial, which features the faces of Presidents George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, and Theodore Roosevelt
The sculptor, Gutzon Borglum, originally wanted to carve each president down to their torsoes. But the lower part of the mountain is made up of mica schist, a type of rock which is impenetrable
The sculptor, Gutzon Borglum, originally wanted to carve each president down to their torsoes.
But the lower part of the mountain is made up of mica schist, a type of rock which is impenetrable.
There was simply not enough time for Borglum and his team of carvers to create an entablature in the shape of the Louisiana Purchase to the right of the presidents, which would have included a brief history of the United States, according to Smithsonian.
The project eventually ran out of funding because of World War II. Congress managed to scrape together enough money to enable the carvers to complete the heads of the four presidents.