Completed in 1951, the Barry Building was designed by local architect Milton Caughey for owner David Barry.

It quickly became an important part of the postwar commercial development of San Vicente Boulevard.

The two-story, flat-roofed building is built around a central open courtyard, with very simple outward-facing façades. It has elements of the International Style and features simple lines, a horizontal orientation, and expanses of courtyard-facing windows. Curving, cantilevered stairways connect the second story to the courtyard below.

The building’s best-known occupant was Dutton’s Bookstore, a fixture for over twenty years. The bookstore was so legendary that many people still refer to the building as Dutton’s. The unusual courtyard layout exemplifies modern ideals of integrating indoor and outdoor spaces, in a rare commercial application.