Mount Rush Hour (photo credit: 365 Things to Do in Houston)
In one of Houston’s many parks sit four 18-foot-tall concrete busts, the work of artist David Adickes. The giant busts are of Stephen F. Austin, Sam Houston, Abraham Lincoln, and George Washington. Each is mounted on a six-foot black block with the words, “A Tribute to American Statesmanship.”
Mount Rush Hour, as the set of sculptures is called, sits facing the I-10 and I-45 interchange in the Sixth Ward. The property is a one-third acre plot that is the site of a former church that was destroyed in a 2001 flood. All that remains of the church is the slab and concrete stairs. In January 2008, Adickes purchased the property, installed the busts, and called it Mount Rush Hour. Quinita and Christopher LaPorte bought the land and busts from Adickes in 2012, named it American Statesmanship Park, and donated it to Harris County. It is now part of the Harris County park system.
Statesmanship Park is located at 1400 Elder Street, and is open to the public.
Adickes is also known for the 67-foot Sam Houston statue in Huntsville as well as other art installations in the greater Houston area.
Click here to read about another Adickes sculpture.
