Résumé

Apprentice, Stephen Hedden Williams, Architect, San Francisco, CA, c. 1860-1865.

Partner, S.H. Williams and Son, Architects, San Francisco, CA, 1865-1872. In 1871, the firm of S.H. Williams and Son had its office in Room #47 of the Merchants' Exchange Building. (See San Francisco, California, City Directory, 1871, p. 677.)

Principal, Warren H. Williams, Architect, Salt Lake City, UT, 1872-1873.

Partner, [Elwood M.] Burton and Williams, Architects, Portland, OR, 1873-1874.

Partner, Williams and [Justus] Krumbein, Architects, Portland, OR, 1874-1878. The firm name was listed as "Krumbein and Williams, Architects" in 1877. (See R.L. Polk and Company's Portland, Oregon, City Directory, 1877, p. 175.)

Principal, Warren H. Williams, Architect, Portland, OR, 1878-1888. From at least 1885 until 1887, Williams had an office in Room #16 of the Dekum Building in Portland. (SeeR.L. Polk and Company's Portland, Oregon, City Directory, 1885, p. 522 and R.L. Polk and Company's Portland, Oregon, City Directory, 1887, p. 479.)

Secretary, Williams and Smith, Architects, Portland, OR, 1888. In 1888, this firm had an office in Room #18 of the Abington Building (fourth floor) in 1888. The R.L. Polk and Company's Portland, Oregon, City Directory, 1888,listed Williams as the Secretary of the architectural firm of Williams and Smith, operated by Arthur L. Smith and his son, David Lochhead Williams, and brother, Franklin Williams. (See R.L. Polk and Company's Portland, Oregon, City Directory, 1888, p. 547.)

Professional Activities

Member, American Institute of Architects (AIA).

Professional Awards

Fellow, American Institute of Architects (FAIA), San Francisco Chapter. Shortly after his death, a note appeared in the Daily Alta California newspaper on 01/09/1888 that indicated: "Special Notice--There will be a Special meeting of the San Francisco Chapter, American Institute of Architects, on MONDAY, January 9, 1888, at 3 P.M., in the office of Wright & Sanders, 418 California Street, to adopt resolutions of respect to the memory of our later Fellow, Warren H. Williams, who died in Fresno City, January 7, 1888 at 5:30 A.M. Geo. H. Sanders, President. Geo. H. Wolf, Secretary." (See "Meetings," Daily Alta California, vol. 42, no. 14010, 01/09/1888, p. 2.)

Relocation

Born in New York, NY, in 1844, Warren resided with his mother and three siblings in Caldwell, NJ, in 1850. They lived with Wiliam Fairchild (born c. 1783 in NJ-d. 09/23/1854), a tailor, and his wife, Mary, (born c. 1800 in NJ-d. 02/07/1856 in Caldwell, NJ), and Charlotte Pearce Williams (born c. 1775 in NJ), his father's mother. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1850; Census Place: Caldwell, Essex, New Jersey; Roll: M432_449; Page: 84A; Image: 176, accessed 12/03/2019.)

He moved with his family to San Francisco, CA, c. 1851; his father, architect Stephen H. Williams, had opened a practice in the booming Gold Rush town the year before. In 1865, Warren continued to live with his parents on the southwest corner of Washington and Larkin Streets. (See San Francisco, California, City Directory, 1865, p. 458.) He lived on Hyde Street south of Washington Street when he registered to vote in San Francisco on 07/24/1866. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation California State Library, California History Section; Great Registers, 1866-1898; Collection Number: 4 - 2A; CSL Roll Number: 40; FHL Roll Number: 977096, accessed 12/02/2019.) He resided at 1312 Hyde Street in 1871. (See San Francisco, California, City Directory, 1871, p. 677.)

W.H. Williams worked in and around San Francisco until about 1873. He had a dwelling on Washington Street during 1872 and 1873. (This was listed as 1421 Washington in 1872 and 1423 in 1873. See San Francisco, California, City Directory, 1872, p. 685 and San Francisco, California, City Directory, 1873, p. 638.) He may have spent some time in Salt Lake City, UT, before moving his practice to Portland, OR, which had just experienced a major fire on 08/02/1873. Like many architects in the 19th century, Williams moved to a new city after a large fire had destroyed it.

Williams maintained a dwelling in Portland on the south side of Alder Street between 9th and 10th Streets in 1877. (See R.L. Polk and Company's Portland, Oregon, City Directory, 1877, p. 175.)

Warren H. Williams lived on 12th Street in Portland by 1880, and lived at 200 12th Street between 1886 until 1888, at least. His son, David, and brother, Franklin, both lived at this address in 1888. (See (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1880; Census Place: Portland, Multnomah, Oregon; Roll: 1083; Page: 317C; Enumeration District: 098, accessed 12/02/2019 and R.L. Polk and Company's Portland, Oregon, City Directory, 1886, p. 463 and R.L. Polk and Company's Portland, Oregon, City Directory, 1888, p. 547.)

Williams died on 01/07/1888 in Fresno, CA. His probate records can be found on Ancestry.com. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Author: Oregon. County Court (Multnomah County); Probate Place: Multnomah, Oregon, accessed 09/04/2018.)

Parents

His father was the New York, NY, architect, Stephen Hedden Williams (1816-1880), his mother Phoebe Ann Williams (born 1821 in NY-d. 1885); Stephen H. Williams migrated to San Francisco, CA, during the Gold Rush by at least 1850, and brought his family to the West Coast in c. 1851. Stephen H. Williams entered into a brief partnership with Henry William Cleaveland, a fellow New Yorker who migrated to the West Coast.

Warren Heywood Williams had eight brothers and sisters. They included: David (born c. 1845 in NY), Robert M. (born c. 1847 in NY), Florence (born c. 1849 in NY), Angeline M. (born c. 1853 in CA), Franklin (born c. 1855 in CA), Joseph (born c. 1857 in CA), Stephen H., Jr., (born c. 1858 in CA), and Fred R. (born c. 1862 in CA). Franklin Williams also became an architect and worked in Portland, OR, in 1888 with W.H. Williams. (See R.L. Polk and Company's Portland, Oregon, City Directory, 1888, p. 547.)

Spouse

Christina F. Lochhead (born 12/02/1847 in Scotland-d. 09/04/1929 in Seattle, WA) served as the executrix of Warren H. Wiliams's estate. (See Ancestry.com, Source Information: Washington, Death Records, 1883-1960 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2008, accessed 12/02/2019.) Her name was recorded both as "Lochhead" and "Lockhead," although the former seems to have been the original Scottish spelling. They married on 12/24/1865 in San Francisco. (See "Married," Daily Alta California, vol. 17, no. 5772, 12/27/1865, p. 4 and "Married," Sacramento Daily Union, vol. 30, no. 4068, 12/28/1865, p. 2.)

In 1910, Christina lived with her daughter Phoebe Anne and son-in-law, Charles Burckhardt (born c. 1868 in OR) at 459 East 24th Street North in Portland. At this time, Christina's daughter, Mabel, also lived with the Burkhardts. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation: Year: 1910; Census Place: Portland Ward 9, Multnomah, Oregon; Roll: T624_1289; Page: 9B; Enumeration District: 0217; FHL microfilm: 1375302, accessed 12/02/2019.)

Children

He and Christina had five children: three daughters, Grace Williams (born c. 1869 in CA), Phoebe Anne Williams Burckhardt (born c. 12/1870 in CA), Mabel Williams (born c. 1873 in CA) and two sons, David Lockhead Williams (born 09/02/1866 in San Francisco, CA-d. 09/28/1937 in Portland, OR) and Warren Franklin Williams (born 09/01/1876 in Portland, OR-d. 1952).

David L. Williams would also become an architect.

Personal Notes

Warren H. Williams died prematurely at age 44, while returning from a trip to the East Coast.

• Fresno, CA (Architect's Death)
  Fresno, CA

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