Charles Storrs Barrows Jr. was the son of a prominent Rochester businessman, one of the owners of the Snow Wire Works. Born January 10, 1889 in Springfield, Massachusetts, Barrows attended the University of Rochester to study architecture. Only 22 when he opened his own office, Barrows designed diverse civic, religious and residential buldings. He also designed East Rochester High School and Penfield Elementary and High Schools. With the opening of the New York State Barge Canal in 1918 and the draining of the old Erie Canal through downtown Rochester, Barrows was engaged to study several civic and transportation projects in the downtown area. These ranged from the building of Broad Street over the canal bed to the large-scale street widening program proposed for the city by Bartholomew & Associates in 1929 to the creation of a civic center on a platform over the Genesee River. Within the latter project, Barrows was particularly involved in the design of a new Post Office. Due to the Great Depression and other limiting factors, few of these projects would come to fruition. Barrows would ultimately retire to Florida, passing away in Sarasota on September 26, 1971.