Crown Assets recounts the history of the building program of the Department of Public Works from 1867 to 1967. One hundred years of government construction generated a broad and diverse network of post offices, federal office buildings, customs houses, drill halls, quarantine stations, hospitals, experimental farms, research institutions, and many other types of architecture. Janet Wright interprets these buildings through the forces that shaped their design and construction.

Federal buildings mirrored the evolution of Canadian architecture in terms of changing styles and building technologies. They were also the product of a political and bureaucratic process and were shaped by policies, programs, and priorities. It was the interaction of these two forces - external architectural influences and the internal requirements and expectations of federal government - that defined the unique character and scope of federal building in Canada.