The dual function of the two-story Barr Building is hinted at by the street facade, with a series of recessed store entrances on the first floor and a second-floor balcony covered by a copper, onion-dome-shaped canopy flanked by residential-type double-hung windows. The client, David Perry Barr, was a professional photographer whose studio and residence were housed in the second story above the shops. The photographer's studio was placed to the rear and featured a large skylight, with Barr's living quarters indicated by the front balcony and fanciful canopy. The building was constructed with a concrete fireproof floor for the second level, which was finished in wood for Barr's studio and residence. During the first third of the twentieth century, Dielmann was prolific, dividing his work between private clients like Barr and work for Roman Catholic dioceses in South Texas.