Built to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Texas’ battle for independence, the design and construction was shepherded by Houston businessman Jesse Jones, who served in the Roosevelt Administration. Jones procured funding from the Works Progress Administration to build the obelisk on the condition it would not be taller than the Washington Monument. However, a 25-foot high base lifted the Houston project 16 feet taller than Washington’s. The Bellows firm outbid all others for the job with an innovative scaffolding platform that was raised from the top by a winch, eliminating the need for a scaffold as tall as the construction. Further innovations included using the Cordova limestone that clad the obelisk as the exterior of the concrete-filled form. The San Jacinto obelisk not only honors Texas independence, but stands as a monument to construction solutions.