Galveston Seawall

Construction on the seawall began in September 1902, roughly two years after the 1900 hurricane killed between 6,000 and 12,000 people on Galveston Island — still the deadliest natural disaster in United States history. The initial 3.3-mile segment was completed by July 29, 1904; extensions ran through 1963, bringing the wall to over 10 miles. It stands 17 feet high, 16 feet thick at the base. The seawall was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977 and designated a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark in 2001.