The building, which is made of sandstone, expresses the mood of the late 1880s. Then, under the influence of American architecture, Richardsonian Romanesque became a new trend in the design of buildings. In essence, as Kelly Crossman, the author of "Architecture in Transition: From Art to Practice, 1885-1906" claimed that "during the last part of the nineteenth century, Canadian architecture was influenced by architectural trends in France, Great Britain, and the United States of America, and this impact was based on cultural and commercial connections." In the 1880s, architects in the United States were experimenting with the construction of buildings using Romanesque style, as it had already begun to dominate American architecture. Since American and Canadian lifestyles were similar and business connections were so tight, the new American architectural taste affected Canadian architects. The new trend influenced most Canadian architects, including Darling whose "favourite High Victorian Gothic design was no longer fashionable" (Crossman 9).