Located in the Lake Erie resort town of Put-in-Bay on South Bass Island, Perry’s Victory & International Peace Memorial is the tallest monument in the United States (352 feet) and is considered to be the most massive Doric column in the world. The memorial, completed in 1915, was built both to commemorate Perry's 1813 naval victory and capture of a British squadron of warships at the Battle of Lake Erie during the War of 1812 and to inculcate the lessons of international peace by arbitration and disarmament, according to the National Park Service. The battle was historically significant in that Perry's Victory secured control of Lake Erie for the United States and enabled Gen. William Henry Harrison to conduct a successful invasion of Western Upper Canada.
     The floor of the rotunda is made from white and black marble, and the domed walls and ceiling are of limestone. Three American and three British officers killed in the Battle of Lake Erie during the War of 1812 are buried in the crypt beneath its floor. The observation deck offers panoramic views of the Lake Erie Islands and the shorelines of Ohio, Michigan, and Ontario. Those who prefer not to climb the 467 steps to the top can take the elevator. On weekends, park rangers offer full-costume demonstrations relating to the events that sparked construction of the memorial that typically end with firing demonstrations of reproduction flintlock muskets and rifles. The adjacent visitor education center houses displays, videos, gifts and a massive statue of Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, for whom the memorial is named.