New York Life Insurance Building

The New York Life Insurance Building is an eight-story office structure at Place d'Armes featuring distinctive red sandstone walls imported from Scotland. The building combines iron beams with brick-bearing walls and displays intricate stone decorations across its facade.

The building was completed in 1889 and became Montreal's first high-rise as well as its tallest commercial structure at that time. The Romanesque Revival architecture helped define the city's late 19th-century skyline.

The building served as a gathering place for legal professionals who used its extensive law library for research and consultation. Those spaces reflected the important role this location played in Montreal's professional community.

The building sits next to Place-d'Armes Metro station and is easily accessible by public transportation. The facade can be viewed well from street level, and the surrounding square offers various places to explore nearby.

The red sandstone blocks came from Dumfriesshire in Scotland and were specially imported for this building. These Scottish materials give the structure its distinctive appearance and link Montreal's history with European architecture.

Location: Montreal

Inception: 1887

Architects: Babb, Cook and Willard

Architectural style: Romanesque Revival architecture

Floors above the ground: 8

Made from material: Old Red Sandstone

GPS coordinates: 45.50527,-73.55707

Latest update: December 12, 2025 12:00