Austin/Houston/Lincoln/Washington - Houston, TX
Posted by: 
Raven
N 29° 46.280 W 095° 22.016
15R E 271160 N 3295795
Four giant concrete busts of notable figures in Texas and US history rising up from within a tiny park at the edge of downtown Houston, TX. They are colloquially known as "Mount Rush Hour" by the local community.
Waymark Code: WMNHRB
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 03/19/2015
Views: 7
"Four large heads nicknamed "Mount Rush Hour" rise along an edge of downtown Houston from within [American Statesmanship Park].
About 3 million cars and trucks a week whiz by the 18-foot concrete busts of hallowed heroes Stephen F. Austin, Sam Houston, Abraham Lincoln and George Washington. [...]
The heads, which soar to 24 feet on their bases, are reinforced with steel and weigh about 7,000 pounds each.
They are the works of artist David Adickes, who also created the 67-foot statue of Sam Houston that stands vigil over I-45 just outside of Huntsville. The two Sam Houston heads are the same size. Each came from the same mold.
Adickes bought the plot where the heads were installed in 2008 because he wanted a spot where people would see them. He recalls the abandoned church, which he bought from a family, had a waterline mark 5 feet high.
The heads, which are white, each took about six weeks to make. They sit atop the hefty black bases designed to make the statues more visible but also tougher to climb up.
Per Adickes: "Public art has to be visible, and the closer to a major artery it is the better. It has to be seen. If you put it on a back road somewhere, not many people will see it, and it loses its impact."
-- Source: "
Houston Chronicle" September 5, 2013 newspaper article.