The San Jacinto Monument, a 567-foot-high column located near the Houston Ship Channel in unincorporated Harris County, Texas, United States. The monument is topped with a 220-ton star that commemorates the site of the Battle of San Jacinto, the decisive battle of the Texas Revolution. The monument, constructed between 1936 and 1939 and dedicated on April 21, 1939, is the world's tallest monumental column and is part of the San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site. By comparison, the Washington Monument is 555.5 feet tall. The column is an octagonal shaft faced with Texas Cordova shellstone, topped with a 34-foot Lone Star – the symbol of Texas. Visitors can take an elevator to the monument's observation deck for a view of Houston and the battleship USS Texas. Photo by Carol Highsmith.