The Legislative Library and office wing additions to the Parliament Buildings were completed in 1915. Like the original 1898 Parliament Buildings, the additions were designed by Francis M. Rattenbury. His first plans for the Legislative Library called for an impressive chateau-style design, but this was thought to be too grandiose and earned the disapproval of the Legislative Librarian, E.O.S. Scholefield. Although the final plans were a compromise, the Legislative Library still emerged as the most ornate portion of the Parliament Buildings. The addition of the Library and two wings cost almost $1.2 million, considerably more than the $928,000 cost of the original buildings in 1898. However, little opposition was raised about the costs since the province was enjoying an economic boom at that time.
Among the Legislative Library's interesting features are the portico entrance and the sculptures of historical and allegorical figures adorning the outer walls. The portico entrance features the original gates from the pre-1915 south entrance to the Parliament Buildings. Rattenbury never intended this entrance to be used. It was added primarily for architectural effect. Scholefield himself chose the figures that compose the Library's statuary. Two craftsmen, Charles Marega and Bernard Carrier, sculpted these classical statues from the same Haddington Island stone used in the construction of the 1898 Parliament Buildings.
However, visitors will often first notice the fourteen 2.74 metre (9 feet) tall statutes that grace the exterior walls. Each one is connected to British Columbia's early colonial history. They are:
