Will Rogers Shrine of the Sun

Will Rogers Shrine of the Sun ( German Will Rogers Shrine of the Sun) is a monumental, serving as a mausoleum tower plant southwest of Colorado Springs in Colorado. It lies on the eastern slope of the Cheyenne Mountain about 600 meters above Colorado Springs at an altitude of around 2400 meters above sea level. The based on a construction of steel and concrete tower itself reaches a height of almost 35 meters. A visitor's platform in about 24 meters altitude offers an excellent view. Disguised, the 1937 tower, completed with locally mined granite.

Description

It was designed to reach only a leading by the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo serpentine road tower of the local architect Charles E. Thomas at the initiative of philanthropist Spencer Penrose ( 1865-1939 ). The lowest floor of the tower is an oriented on European Baroque chapel in the Spencer Penrose, his wife Julie Penrose (1870-1956) as well as their friends Harry Leonard and Horace Devereux are buried. Equipped is the chapel, among others, one produced in Germany, handmade crucifix, two prayer benches from the France of the 15th century, one dating from the 16th century marble altar and a ceramic figure group Della Robbia family from the 16th century.

The overlying basement, where the main entrance is located next to the stairs leading to the top also includes a history room. On painted by Randall Davey images outstanding historical events of the history of the region are presented to Pikes Peak.

The remaining three are distributed over the tower rooms are dedicated to Will Rogers and show the most important stages of his life. Will Rogers was a friend of Penrose. He was a well-known comedian, entertainer and actor of Indian origin and was much admired by Spencer Penrose. Rogers died on August 15, 1935 in a plane crash, while the tower was already in construction. In Rogers, the naming of the tower is due. The reference to the sun in the naming refers to the illumination of the tower through the morning and evening sun.

The plant was taken with the number 94001229 on 3 November 1994 by the National Register of Historic Places.