The center block of the plaza is the Veterans Memorial Plaza. The Obelisk, a granite tower surrounded by a marble and terrazzo fountain in the middle of the block, was constructed in 1920, under the supervision of designer, Henry Hering. The gold-leaf-topped spire stands 100 ft (30 m.) tall and the lower basin is 100 ft. (30 m.) wide. Bronze bas-reliefs on each side of the base represent Law, Science, Religion, and Education. East and west of the fountain, the two plazas hold the 50 state flags. Originally a single element at the north end of the block places in celebration of the nation’s Bicentennial in 1976, the flags were moved, to maintain clear line of sight to the World War Memorial, to their current location in 2005 and are arranged according to their statehood dates.
