Plague Law Banned Wooden Buildings

Parliament passed the Rebuilding of London Act 1666 following the Great Plague of 1665 and the Great Fire of London in 1666. The law widened streets, created pavements, abolished open sewers, banned wooden buildings, overhanging gables and required builders to use brick or stone. English architect Christopher Wren helped rebuild St. Paul's Cathedral and more than 50 churches, with rebuilding under the supervision of Surveyor of London Robert Hooke and taking more than 10 years. King Charles II also founded the Royal Observatory and supported the Royal Society, which helped trigger a renaissance in English arts and sciences.

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