William T. Warren Explained

William T. Warren
Birth Date:	3 October 1877
Birth Place:	Birmingham, Alabama
Nationality:	American
Death Place:	Birmingham, Alabama
Practice:	Warren & Welton; Warren & Knight; Warren, Knight & Davis
Awards:	Fellow, American Institute of Architects (1934)

William T. Warren (October 3, 1877 – April 14, 1962) was an American architect from Birmingham, Alabama. He practiced architecture there from 1907 until his death in 1962. Most of his works were designed in association with Eugene H. Knight (November 30, 1884 – November 6, 1971), his business partner in the firms of Warren & Knight and Warren, Knight & Davis from 1917 until his death.^[1]

Life and career

William Tilman Warren was born October 3, 1877, in Montgomery, Alabama to James Rainey Warren and Fannie Warren, née Leak. He was educated at the Alabama Polytechnic Institute (BS in engineering, 1897) and Columbia University (BS in architecture, 1902). After graduating from Columbia he worked for McKim, Mead & White and Albro & Lindeberg. In 1907 he returned to Birmingham, where he formed the partnership of Warren & Welton with William Leslie Welton. This was dissolved in 1910. In 1917 he formed a second partnership, Warren & Knight, with Eugene H. Knight.^[2] This was expanded in 1922 to include John E. Davis and was renamed Warren, Knight & Davis. As originally conceived, Knight was the chief designer, Warren was in charge of production and management and Davis was in charge of construction administration.^{[3] [4]}

In 1946 the partnership was expanded to include Albion K. Knight and John E. Davis Jr., the sons of Knight and Davis. John E. Davis was the first of the name partners to die, in 1961. Warren and Knight followed in 1962 and 1971, respectively.^{[3] [4]} The remaining partners incorporated the firm as Warren, Knight & Davis Inc. in 1976. This was changed to Davis, Black & Associates Inc. in 1987 and to Robert M. Black Architects Inc. in 1991.^[5] Bob Black, the last principal of the firm, died in 2004.^[6] The firm is no longer active but legally still exists.^[5]

He and his firms made significant contributions to the architectural history of Birmingham. Their work was concentrated in Alabama, but they also completed works in Florida, Mississippi and Tennessee. Work in Alabama included many public and private buildings in addition to works for Alabama A&M University, Alabama State University, Auburn University and the University of Alabama. In Florida they completed at least three county courthouses and in Tennessee they worked for .^[4]

Warren joined the American Institute of Architects in 1916, as a charter member of the Alabama chapter.^[7] He served as a chapter president and on the AIA board of directors.^[3] He was elected a Fellow in 1934 and was the first Alabama architect to be elected a Fellow under the modern system instituted in 1898. His partner, Eugene H. Knight, would also be elected a Fellow in 1952.^[8]

Personal life

Warren was married to Dorothea Orr in 1912. They had two children, Dorothea (Dorothy) and William Tilman Jr. (Bill).^[3] He died April 14, 1962, at the age of 84.^[9]

Warren was a member of the Birmingham Country Club, the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce and the Birmingham Little Theatre.^{[3] [9]}

Legacy

At least six buildings designed by Warren and his partners have been listed on the United States National Register of Historic Places, and others contribute to listed historic districts.

The Birmingham Public Library has a collection of his papers.^[10] In 2017 he was inducted into the Birmingham Business Hall of Fame.^[11]

Architectural works

Warren & Welton, 1907–1910

• 1908 – Smith Hall, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama^[4]
• 1909 – Wesleyan Hall annex, University of North Alabama, Florence, Alabama^[12]

William T. Warren, 1910–1916

• 1914 – Kilby House, 1301 Woodstock Ave, Anniston, Alabama^[13]
• 1917 – Calkins Hall, University of Montevallo, Montevallo, Alabama^[3]

Warren & Knight, 1916–1922

• 1919 – John W. Ager house, 1100 31st St S, Birmingham, Alabama^[4]
• 1922 – Independent Presbyterian Church church school, 3100 Highland Ave, Birmingham, Alabama^[14]

Warren, Knight & Davis, from 1922

• 1923 – William T. Warren house, 1445 Milner St S, Birmingham, Alabama^[15]
• 1925 – Alabama Power Headquarters Building, 600 18th S N, Birmingham, Alabama^[4]
• 1925 – Birmingham Athletic Club (former), 309 23rd St N, Birmingham, Alabama^[16]
• 1926 – Bottega Favorita, 2240-2244 Highland Ave, Birmingham, Alabama^[17]
• 1926 – Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta Birmingham Branch, 1801 5th Ave N, Birmingham, Alabama^[18]
• 1926 – Independent Presbyterian Church, 3100 Highland Ave, Birmingham, Alabama^[14]
• 1926 – Walton County Courthouse, 571 E Nelson Ave, De Funiak Springs, Florida^[19]
• 1927 – Fire Station No. 3, 2210 Highland Ave, Birmingham, Alabama^[20]
• 1927 – Gulf County Courthouse (former), 222 N 2nd St, Wewahitchka, Florida^[21]
• 1927 – Virginia Samford Theatre, 1116 26th St S, Birmingham, Alabama^[22]
• 1928 – Foley Hotel, 113-121 W Laurel Ave, Foley, Alabama^[23]
• 1928 – Protective Life Building, 2027 1st Avenue N, Birmingham, Alabama^[3]
• 1928 – Jo Ann Gibson Robinson Hall, Alabama State University, Montgomery, Alabama^[24]
• 1928 – Singer Building, 2008 2nd Ave N, Birmingham, Alabama^[25]
• 1928 – Watts Building, 2008 3rd Ave N, Birmingham, Alabama^[26]
• 1929 – John E. Davis house, 2935 Carlisle Rd, Birmingham, Alabama^[27]
• 1929 – Autherine Lucy Hall, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama^[28]
• 1929 – Theodore Swann house, 3526 Redmont Rd, Birmingham, Alabama^[4]
• 1930 – W. H. Councill Hall, Alabama A&M University, Huntsville, Alabama^[29]
• 1930 – Drake Dining Hall, Alabama A&M University, Huntsville, Alabama^[29]
• 1930 – Walter S. Buchanan Hall, Alabama A&M University, Huntsville, Alabama^[29]
• 1930 – Ross Hall, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama^[3]
• 1932 – Elmore County Courthouse, 100 E Commerce St, Wetumpka, Alabama^[4]
• 1937 – Alabama State Office Building, 500 Dexter Ave, Montgomery, Alabama^[3]
• 1937 – Atlas Cement Company office building, Birmingham, Alabama^[4]
• 1937 – Lawrence County Courthouse, 14330 Court St, Moulton, Alabama^[30]
• 1939 – Beverly Hall, Alabama State University, Montgomery, Alabama^[24]
• 1940 – Alabama Department of Archives and History building, 624 Washington Ave, Montgomery, Alabama^[3]
• 1940 – Franklin County Courthouse, 33 Market St, Apalachicola, Florida^[31]
• 1948 – Henderson National Bank building, 118 S Jefferson St, Huntsville, Alabama^[32]
• 1948 – Hurt Hall, Alabama A&M University, Huntsville, Alabama^[29]
• 1948 – North Dining Hall, Alabama State University, Montgomery, Alabama^[24]
• 1948 – Pratt School addition, 306 Ave U, Birmingham, Alabama^[33]
• 1950 – Frank Lewis Gymnasium, Alabama A&M University, Huntsville, Alabama^[29]
• 1959 – Birmingham Museum of Art, 2000 Reverend Abraham Woods Jr Blvd, Birmingham, Alabama^[4]

Additional private homes designed by Warren and his partners contribute to the NRHP-listed Country Club Historic District,^[34] Hanover Place Historic District,^[22] Milner Heights Historic District^[15] and Red Mountain Suburbs Historic District.^[27]

Further reading

• John M. Schnorrenberg, Remembered Past, Discovered Future: The Alabama Architecture of Warren, Knight & Davis, 1906-1961 (1999)

Notes and References

1. Book: Gamble, Robert S.. Historic Architecture in Alabama: A Guide to Styles and Types, 1810-1930. May 28, 2001. University of Alabama Press. 9780817311346 . Google Books.
2. "Architects Form New Partnership," Birmingham Age-Herald, March 17, 1917, 5.
3. "Warren, William Tilman" in Who's Who in America 24 (Chicago: A. N. Marquis Company, 1946): 2481.
4. John Schnorrenberg, "Warren, Knight & Davis" in The Grove Encyclopedia of American Art 5, ed. Joan Marter (Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press, 2011): 156-157.
5. Alabama corporate filings, no date. Accessed July 17, 2024.
6. "Black, Robert M. 'Bob'," AL.com, August 6, 2004.
7. "New Chapter Organizes" in Ohio Architect, Engineer and Builder 27, no. 4 (April, 1916): 20.
8. The American Institute of Architects College of Fellows History & Directory (Washington: American Institute of Architects, 2019)
9. "William T. Warren's Funeral Set Today," Birmingham Post-Herald, April 16, 1962, 14.
10. Web site: Birmingham Public Library - Archives: William T. Warren, 1877-1962 Family Papers AR 1006. www.bplonline.org.
11. News: . August 24, 2017 . Birmingham Business Hall of Fame: Meet an early architect who gave Bham its look . Birmingham Business Journal . September 2, 2022.
12. Web site: Wesleyan Hall. July 16, 2018. SAH ARCHIPEDIA.
13. https://catalog.archives.gov/id/77836256 Kilby House NRHP nomination materials
14. John M. Schnorrenberg, Aspiration: Birmingham's Historic Houses of @orship (Birmingham: Birmingham Historical Society, 2000): 67.
15. https://catalog.archives.gov/id/77836388 Milner Heights Historic District NRHP Registration Form
16. https://catalog.archives.gov/id/77836446 Downtown Birmingham Historic District (Boundary Increase II) NRHP Registration Form
17. https://catalog.archives.gov/id/77836268 Bottega Favorita NRHP Inventory-Nomination Form
18. https://catalog.archives.gov/id/77836452 Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta--Birmingham Branch NRHP Registration Form
19. John Deacon, "Walton County," America Courthouses, no date. Accessed July 17, 2024.
20. https://catalog.archives.gov/id/77835207 Fire Station No. 3 NRHP Registration Form
21. John Deacon, "Gulf County," America Courthouses, no date. Accessed July 17, 2024.
22. https://catalog.archives.gov/id/77836386 Hanover Place Historic District NRHP Registration Form
23. https://npgallery.nps.gov/AssetDetail/NRIS/04001496 Foley Downtown Historic District NRHP Registration Form
24. https://catalog.archives.gov/id/77837189 Alabama State University Historic District NRHP Registration Form
25. https://catalog.archives.gov/id/77836332 Downtown Birmingham Historic District NRHP Inventory-Nomination Form
26. https://catalog.archives.gov/id/77836256 Watts Building NRHP Inventory-Nomination Form
27. https://catalog.archives.gov/id/77836364 Red Mountain Suburbs Historic District NRHP Registration Form
28. Robert Oliver Mellown, The University of Alabama: A Guide to the Campus (Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press, 1988): 89.
29. https://catalog.archives.gov/id/77836786 Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University Historic District NRHP Registration Form
30. John Deacon, "Lawrence County," America Courthouses, no date. Accessed July 17, 2024.
31. John Deacon, "Franklin County," America Courthouses, no date. Accessed July 17, 2024.
32. https://catalog.archives.gov/id/77835318 Henderson National Bank NRHP nomination materials
33. https://catalog.archives.gov/id/77836410 Pratt School NRHP Registration Form
34. https://catalog.archives.gov/id/77836384 Country Club Historic District NRHP Registration Form