Designed by Herman P. Koeppe of the Wyatt C. Hedrick Architectural Firm, the 16 floor, 275 foot tower served the growing aviation concerns of Fort Worth before providing office space for several insurance groups.

Fort Worth experienced a boom in construction at the end of the 1920s leading to the creation of several Art Deco skyscrapers downtown.

Completed in the summer of 1930, the brown sandstone and grey granite Aviation building was decorated in polychromed panels bands and terra cotta accents typical of the Zigzag Moderne architectural styling that was in vogue at the time.

Chief among these details were the use of geometric shapes throughout the interior and exterior of the tower and several Aztec prince sculptures with eagles that adorned the main entrance to the building, paying homage to both Barrett’s interests and his company, Southern Aeromotive Service, Inc.[1] Ownership of the Aviation Building was transferred from Barrett to Trinity Life Insurance in the 1930s.

Surviving members of the rescue team reported in 2007 that they knew the statues had been successfully removed and transported away from the site but neither authorities at Texas Christian University nor the City of Fort Worth claim to know the location of the Aztec sculptures.