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.

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."Architects Form New Partnership," Birmingham Age-Herald, March 17, 1917, 5. 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."Warren, William Tilman" in Who's Who in America 24 (Chicago: A. N. Marquis Company, 1946): 2481.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.

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. 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.Alabama corporate filings, no date. Accessed July 17, 2024. Bob Black, the last principal of the firm, died in 2004."Black, Robert M. 'Bob'," AL.com, August 6, 2004. The firm is no longer active but legally still exists.

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 Sewanee: The University of the South.

Warren joined the American Institute of Architects in 1916, as a charter member of the Alabama chapter."New Chapter Organizes" in Ohio Architect, Engineer and Builder 27, no. 4 (April, 1916): 20. He served as a chapter president and on the AIA board of directors. 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.The American Institute of Architects College of Fellows History & Directory (Washington: American Institute of Architects, 2019)

Personal life Warren was married to Dorothea Orr in 1912. They had two children, Dorothea (Dorothy) and William Tilman Jr. (Bill). He died April 14, 1962, at the age of 84."William T. Warren's Funeral Set Today," Birmingham Post-Herald, April 16, 1962, 14.

Warren was a member of the Birmingham Country Club, the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce and the Birmingham Little Theatre.

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. In 2017 he was inducted into the Birmingham Business Hall of Fame.

Architectural works Warren & Welton, 1907–1910 1908 – Smith Hall, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama 1909 – Wesleyan Hall annex, University of North Alabama, Florence, Alabama

William T. Warren, 1910–1916 1914 – Kilby House, 1301 Woodstock Ave, Anniston, AlabamaKilby House NRHP nomination materials (1985) 1917 – Calkins Hall, University of Montevallo, Montevallo, Alabama

Warren & Knight, 1916–1922 1919 – John W. Ager house, 1100 31st St S, Birmingham, Alabama 1922 – Independent Presbyterian Church church school, 3100 Highland Ave, Birmingham, AlabamaJohn M. Schnorrenberg, Aspiration: Birmingham's Historic Houses of @orship (Birmingham: Birmingham Historical Society, 2000): 67.

Warren, Knight & Davis, from 1922 1923 – William T. Warren house, 1445 Milner St S, Birmingham, AlabamaMilner Heights Historic District NRHP Registration Form (2003) 1925 – Alabama Power Headquarters Building, 600 18th S N, Birmingham, Alabama 1925 – Birmingham Athletic Club (former), 309 23rd St N, Birmingham, AlabamaDowntown Birmingham Historic District (Boundary Increase II) NRHP Registration Form (1998) 1926 – Bottega Favorita, 2240-2244 Highland Ave, Birmingham, AlabamaBottega Favorita NRHP Inventory-Nomination Form (1986) 1926 – Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta Birmingham Branch, 1801 5th Ave N, Birmingham, AlabamaFederal Reserve Bank of Atlanta--Birmingham Branch NRHP Registration Form (2003) 1926 – Independent Presbyterian Church, 3100 Highland Ave, Birmingham, Alabama 1926 – Walton County Courthouse, 571 E Nelson Ave, De Funiak Springs, FloridaJohn Deacon, "Walton County," America Courthouses, no date. Accessed July 17, 2024. 1927 – Fire Station No. 3, 2210 Highland Ave, Birmingham, AlabamaFire Station No. 3 NRHP Registration Form (1990) 1927 – Gulf County Courthouse (former), 222 N 2nd St, Wewahitchka, FloridaJohn Deacon, "Gulf County," America Courthouses, no date. Accessed July 17, 2024. 1927 – Virginia Samford Theatre, 1116 26th St S, Birmingham, AlabamaHanover Place Historic District NRHP Registration Form (2003) 1928 – Foley Hotel, 113-121 W Laurel Ave, Foley, AlabamaFoley Downtown Historic District NRHP Registration Form (2005) 1928 – Protective Life Building, 2027 1st Avenue N, Birmingham, Alabama 1928 – Jo Ann Gibson Robinson Hall, Alabama State University, Montgomery, AlabamaAlabama State University Historic District NRHP Registration Form (1998) 1928 – Singer Building, 2008 2nd Ave N, Birmingham, AlabamaDowntown Birmingham Historic District NRHP Inventory-Nomination Form (1985) 1928 – Watts Building, 2008 3rd Ave N, Birmingham, AlabamaWatts Building NRHP Inventory-Nomination Form (1979) 1929 – John E. Davis house, 2935 Carlisle Rd, Birmingham, AlabamaRed Mountain Suburbs Historic District NRHP Registration Form (1985) 1929 – Autherine Lucy Hall, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AlabamaRobert Oliver Mellown, The University of Alabama: A Guide to the Campus (Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press, 1988): 89. 1929 – Theodore Swann house, 3526 Redmont Rd, Birmingham, Alabama 1930 – W. H. Councill Hall, Alabama A&M University, Huntsville, AlabamaAlabama Agricultural and Mechanical University Historic District NRHP Registration Form (2001) 1930 – Drake Dining Hall, Alabama A&M University, Huntsville, Alabama 1930 – Walter S. Buchanan Hall, Alabama A&M University, Huntsville, Alabama 1930 – Ross Hall, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama 1932 – Elmore County Courthouse, 100 E Commerce St, Wetumpka, Alabama 1937 – Alabama State Office Building, 500 Dexter Ave, Montgomery, Alabama 1937 – Atlas Cement Company office building, Birmingham, Alabama 1937 – Lawrence County Courthouse, 14330 Court St, Moulton, AlabamaJohn Deacon, "Lawrence County," America Courthouses, no date. Accessed July 17, 2024. 1939 – Beverly Hall, Alabama State University, Montgomery, Alabama 1940 – Alabama Department of Archives and History building, 624 Washington Ave, Montgomery, Alabama 1940 – Franklin County Courthouse, 33 Market St, Apalachicola, FloridaJohn Deacon, "Franklin County," America Courthouses, no date. Accessed July 17, 2024. 1948 – Henderson National Bank building, 118 S Jefferson St, Huntsville, AlabamaHenderson National Bank NRHP nomination materials (1980) 1948 – Hurt Hall, Alabama A&M University, Huntsville, Alabama 1948 – North Dining Hall, Alabama State University, Montgomery, Alabama 1948 – Pratt School addition, 306 Ave U, Birmingham, AlabamaPratt School NRHP Registration Form (1994) 1950 – Frank Lewis Gymnasium, Alabama A&M University, Huntsville, Alabama 1959 – Birmingham Museum of Art, 2000 Reverend Abraham Woods Jr Blvd, Birmingham, Alabama

Additional private homes designed by Warren and his partners contribute to the NRHP-listed Country Club Historic District,Country Club Historic District NRHP Registration Form (2003) Hanover Place Historic District, Milner Heights Historic District and Red Mountain Suburbs Historic District.

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

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