Never before had anything so grand been built in North America. It was time. Queen Victoria had chosen Ottawa (Ontario) as the national capital and the growing Province needed more space to house its legislature. Barrack Hill, high above the Ottawa River that had also housed engineers during the construction of the Rideau Canal, was available. The site was prominent, spacious and picturesque; perfect for a plaza of such importance.

Construction began in December 1859 and was completed by the summer of 1866. The Parliament Buildings incorporated the latest trends in Victorian Gothic Revivalism adapted to North American tastes and materials, but one feature of the original design was absent. Architects Thomas Fuller and Chilion Jones had originally proposed a central tower with a cap and decorative finials. These elements were added during 1872-78; when the Victoria Tower first opened in 1866, it featured peaked gables and Gothic end posts at each corner.

Unfortunately, these architectural treasures were lost forever when fire raged through the Centre Block in 1916. The reconstruction was intent on respecting the original design but was expanded to provide more office space and adopt the latest architectural trends. Today's facades look quite different from the originals but are arguably Canada's most recognized buildings. One hundred and fifty years after construction first began, Ottawa's Parliament Buildings are still hailed as the purest example of Gothic Revival architecture in the Western Hemisphere.