Houston’s San Jacinto Monument Column is Tallest of its Kind in the World
The San Jacinto Monument in Houston, TX was completed in 1939, it's located along the Houston Ship Channel in La Porte, and it is, in fact, taller than the slightly more famous Washington Monument in our nation's capital.
The Monument is the tallest masonry column in the world. It is more than 12 feet taller that the Washington Monument. It weights approximately 70 million pounds. The star atop the Monument, which symbolizes the Lone Star State, is 34 feet tall and weighs approximately 220 tons," this according to the San Jacinto Museum.
And while The Washington Monument, which is also an obelisk-shaped building, was built to commemorate George Washington, a Founding Father of the United States, San Jacinto Monument was built to honor those who fought for Texas's independence.
The Texas monument was built as a "New Deal Project between 1936 and 1939 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Battle of San Jacinto and Texas's independence." And yes, because all is bigger in Texas, ours is a beautiful 567 feet tall -- more than 15 feet higher than the one in Washington D.C.
From Houstonian Mag, "Built on the site of the Battle of San Jacinto, the decisive confrontation in the Texas Revolution, Houston’s own obelisk-like monument needed the extra 11 feet to accommodate the memory of all 800 army members and their esteemed leader, General Sam Houston."
The massive monument is just twenty minutes from downtown Houston, and from "hiking trails, to some of the Gulf Coast’s best birding, and whether you are entertaining guests, chaperoning a fieldtrip or just spending time with your family, a visit to the museum is an experience to remember."