St. John's, Newfoundland: The Four Sisters Buildings

Read enough history about big cities, and one fact usually pops up: Bad fires are rather common. That will happen when wood is the major construction material. The Great Fire of 1892 took a big toll on St. John's.

Only a year later, these four buildings were made out of stone near the downtown area of the city. It took 10 years to build this project, in part because they were built from leftover material of other projects. Architect Samuel Garrett designed the Cabot Tower, which opened in 1897.

They are considered Registered Heritage Structures today, and one of the great-granddaughters of Garrett lived in one of the homes at last report. If you are in the neighborhood of Temperance Street near the water, be sure to take a look. Just be prepared for the steep hill to get there.