Public Grounds of the Parliament Buildings

In 1873 the Department of Public Works contracted with New York landscape architect Calvert Vaux to design a plan for the public grounds of Parliament Hill. Superseding a design by the English sculptor Marshall Wood, Vaux's design was implemented in 1873-75. A terrace connecting the access roadways integrated the dominating Parliament buildings with the departmental buildings. Small geometric flower beds, diagonal walks and a central fountain, long since removed, ornamented the lawn. While changes in planting have altered the effect of Vaux's design, its major features are clearly discernible.