This column, truncated by design, features an interesting relief carving at its base: a winged man stands behind a woman who reads from a book atop another broken column.
This is a Masonic symbol, called Father Time and the Weeping Virgin, symbolizing the central legend of Freemasonry - the murder of Hiram Abiff - and that patience and perseverance conquer all.
source: PhoenixMasonry.org