Warren Howard Hayes (1847–1899) was a leading designer of churches in the United States and Canada during the late 19th century.

[2]Often the interiors have Arts and Crafts movement attributes, and some of the congregations accepted Hayes recommendations of Louis Tiffany for their stained glass.

[4] The National Register of Historic Places currently includes seven of his works in Minnesota[5] and the Methodist Episcopal Church at Lodi, New York.

Hayes was deeply involved in the institutional church movement throughout his career, and although he was a Methodist, he had extensive ties with other denominations.

The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography included a lengthy entry about Hayes, together with some family background, five years before his death:[6] On his father's side he is of New England stock, being descended from George Hayes, of Windsor, Connecticut, who emigrated from Scotland to Derbyshire, England, and thence to Windsor, Connecticut, in 1680, where descendants of the family still live.

Many honored names represent the family in professional and official life, 19th President of the United States Rutherford Hayes being among the number.

Upon his mother's" side, Mr. Hayes' progenitors are the Robsons and Straughans, of Northumberland, England, who emigrated to Geneva in Ontario, early in the nineteenth century.

In 1868 Hayes entered the sophomore class of Cornell University, and was graduated in 1871, having successfully taken the courses in architecture and civil engineering, including the natural sciences and modern languages.

He also, during his college course, took two President Andrew Dickson White, who was the founder of the Department of History and Political Science, first prizes for proficiency in mechanics and physics.

The succeeding ten years were given to the successful practice of his chosen profession, architecture, at Elmira, New York, where, in May 1881, he was united in marriage to Miss M. F. Beardsley.

At the present time Hayes has in process of erection the Fowler Methodist Episcopal Church, a most complete and finely equipped edifice, and named for Bishop C. II.

On October 26, 1886, Hayes was married to Mrs. Lillie Cook Van Norman, of Hamilton, Ontario, his first wife and daughter having died four years previous.

From this second marriage three children were born to them: Edith, George Edson, and Helen, who, with Mary Van Norman, the stepdaughter, form the present family.

[6][7] An article at the time of his untimely death in 1899 from pernicious anemia noted: Warren Howard Hayes was born at Prattsburgh, Steuben County, New York, Aug 22, 1847.

Mr Hayes received his earlier education in the select school of Italy, N.Y., at Watkin's Academy, and at Genesee Wesleyan Seminary of Lima, N.Y.

In 1868 he entered the sophomore class of Cornell University and was graduated in 1871, having successfully taken the courses in architecture and civil engineering, including the natural sciences and modern languages.

[35] This process of the use of plan books, and transmission via the mails of standard designs, together with local oversight often can cause great confusion in giving the correct attribution to a particular church.

[38][39] Noting that Hayes went from a "private school in Italy, NY, thence two years at Watkins Academy, here, in 1865, joining on probation the First M.E.