Thomas Fuller and Chilion Jones won the Centre Block contract on Parliament Hill with a "Victorian High Gothic" scheme, for the Legislature of the Province of Canada. Ground was broken on December 20, 1859 and the cornerstone laid on September 1, 1860. Work stopped in 1861 and resumed in 1863.
The style is Gothic Revival, with a formal, symmetrical front facing a quadrangle and a more rustic back facing the escarpment. The stone is Potsdam sandstone from Nepean, about 19 miles (30 km) away. Foundations were set 17 feet (5.2 m) deeper than planned after blasting through bedrock.
A fire on February 3, 1916 destroyed the Centre Block. The cornerstone was re-laid, and the rebuilt block was completed in 1927 with the Peace Tower, a memorial to Canadians who died in the First World War. Both chambers are temporarily relocated during renovations, with completion given as 2028 in one place and after 2028 in another.
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