The Charles W. Barr papers contain materials relating to the study and teaching of urban planning and landscape architecture. Included in the collection are lecture notes and course materials for courses that Barr taught at Michigan State University. Also included are papers and speeches that Barr and others presented at conferences as well as bibliographies. State and federal government reports, and materials from professional organizations, can also be found in the Barr papers. There are folders of manuscripts, some including correspondence, about Andrew Jackson Downing, other noted American landscape architects, and the history of the Detroit Zoological Park.