<p>Photograph of drawing. Inset of ground floor plan in upper left corner.
</p><p>Caption on image:  F.M. Rattenbury, Architect, Victoria, B.C., 1895.  Bamford [illeg.]
</p><p>Caption on mount:  Parliament Buildings, Victoria, B.C.
</p>
Filed in British Columbia--Victoria<p class="mw-empty-elt"></p>
<p>After a year-long competition, a 25-year-old architect, Francis Mawson Rattenbury, was chosen in March 1892 to design B.C.’s new Parliament Buildings.  Construction began in 1893, partly to try to boost a stagnant economy. Every effort was made to use local materials and resources — granite foundations from Nelson Island; site facades from Haddington Island stone; and local brick, lime and Douglas fir for the construction work.  The total cost was not to exceed $600,000. When the commission was completed four years later, amid much controversy and argument, the total cost came to $923,882.30.

Although B.C.’s new Parliament Buildings were completed in late 1897, the opening was delayed to

coincide with that of the Legislative Assembly. Lieutenant-Governor T.R. McInnes formally opened the

buildings on February 10, 1898. The only dignitary not attending was the mercurial architect Francis

Rattenbury. He was in England raising funds for a scheme involving Klondike steamboats.

At the time they were built, the Parliament Buildings were criticized as an unnecessary extravagance,

particularly since they came in over $300,000 over the original $600,000 budget.

Between 1911 and 1915 Rattenbury designed additions to the structure, including the magnificent

library, with its elegant marble-panelled rotunda. [Legislative Assembly of British Columbia web site, <a rel="nofollow" class="external free" href="http://www.legis.gov.bc.ca/">http://www.legis.gov.bc.ca/#</a></p>
<ul><li>Subjects (LCTGM): Architectural drawings; Floor plans</li>
<li>Subjects (LCSH): Parliament Buildings (Victoria, B.C.)--Drawings; Public buildings--Designs and plans</li></ul>
<div class="fn value">
Unknown author<span style="display: none;">Unknown author</span></div>
circa 1896 <div style="display: none;">date QS:P571,+1896-00-00T00:00:00Z/9,P1480,Q5727902</div>
<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://content.lib.washington.edu/alaskawcanadaweb/index.html">Alaska, Western Canada and United States Collection</a>