Theodore Wells Pietsch I
Encyclopedia
Theodore Wells Pietsch was a well-known American architect
, best remembered for a large body of work in and around Baltimore
, Maryland
. Among his most famous buildings is the St. Philip and St. James Catholic Church at 2801 North Charles Street, Baltimore
.
, class of 1889, he began his career working for the architectural firms of Flanders & Zimmerman and Burnham & Root, both of Chicago
. On September 12, 1891, he left the U.S. for Paris
and spent the next six years studying at the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-arts where he received the French Government Diploma for architecture
in December 1897, the ninth American to receive this award. In 1898, he received an honorary mention in the Salon, the official art exhibition of the Académie des Beaux-Arts in Paris. After returning to the U.S. in 1898, he spent two years in New York
offices, with competitive work, followed by three or four years in Washington, D.C.
, where for more than a year he was in the employ of Messrs. Hornblower & Marshall, and after that, for some two years, as Chief Designer in the Office of the Supervising Architect
Mr. James King Taylor.
occurred in February 1904, he was called to help rebuild the city, where, in that same year, he entered into partnership with Otto G. Simonson (1862-1922), establishing the firm of Simonson and Pietsch, which lasted until about 1908. His principle works in Baltimore
include Eastern High School
, the Public Market, the U.S. Fidelity & Guarantee Building, the Lanahan Warehouse, Broadway Pier (the City Pier or "Recreation Pier," located on Thames Street between Broadway and Ann Street, which opened on August 20, 1914; built by the city at a cost of over $1 million as a commercial pier with community facilities, including a ballroom, on the top floor), the Tin Decorating Company plant, the Industrial Building, the Sonneborn Building
, Fallsway Viaduct, Zion Church, the Association of Commerce Building, Jackson Place School, the residence of Dr. E. G. Mars, 5 Blythewood Road, the facades of numerous motion picture theaters (e.g., the Elektra, the New Wilson, and Excelsior), and his greatest contribution, the St. Philip and St. James Catholic Church, 2801 North Charles Street, Baltimore
, a cruciform edifice of Roman classic design, constructed of Indiana limestone
, completed in 1929. Works outside Baltimore
include the Maryland House of Correction
in Jessup, Maryland
.
, he served in 1917–1918 as an instructor in French to officers of the 316th regiment at Camp Meade, Maryland
. He was awarded two medals in architecture
from the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-arts. He was a member of the American Institute of Architects
, elected March 10, 1903; a member of Friends of Art, Baltimore
; a Democrat; a Protestant; and an active member of the University, Merchants, Jockey, and Elkridge clubs. His residence was at 27 Wickford Road (later changed to 4327), Roland Park, Baltimore
, which he purchased in about 1912; his office was at 1210-11 American Building, Baltimore
.
On November 7, 1911, Pietsch married Gertrude Carroll Zell (May 2, 1888 – May 5, 1968), with whom he had three sons: Theodore Wells Pietsch, Jr. (September 23, 1912, Baltimore – August 24, 1993, Everett, Washington); John Oliver Carroll Pietsch (July 21, 1914, Baltimore – December 15, 1986, Birmingham, Michigan); Robert Brooke Pietsch (April 28, 1923, Baltimore – ). On the morning of January 1, 1930, he committed suicide in his studio above the garage (which he himself designed) behind the Wickford Road house, the apparent reasons being worry over ill health and large loss of money during the 1929 stock market crash
. He is buried at the New Cathedral Cemetery, 4300 Old Frederick Road, Baltimore
.
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
, best remembered for a large body of work in and around Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
. Among his most famous buildings is the St. Philip and St. James Catholic Church at 2801 North Charles Street, Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
.
Education and early career
After graduating from the Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyMassachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
, class of 1889, he began his career working for the architectural firms of Flanders & Zimmerman and Burnham & Root, both of Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. On September 12, 1891, he left the U.S. for Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and spent the next six years studying at the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-arts where he received the French Government Diploma for architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
in December 1897, the ninth American to receive this award. In 1898, he received an honorary mention in the Salon, the official art exhibition of the Académie des Beaux-Arts in Paris. After returning to the U.S. in 1898, he spent two years in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
offices, with competitive work, followed by three or four years in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, where for more than a year he was in the employ of Messrs. Hornblower & Marshall, and after that, for some two years, as Chief Designer in the Office of the Supervising Architect
Office of the Supervising Architect
The Office of the Supervising Architect was an agency of the United States Treasury Department that designed federal government buildings from 1852 to 1939....
Mr. James King Taylor.
Mid- and late career
When the Great Baltimore FireGreat Baltimore Fire
The Great Baltimore Fire raged in Baltimore, Maryland, United States, on Sunday, February 7, and Monday, February 8, 1904. 1,231 firefighters were required to bring the blaze under control...
occurred in February 1904, he was called to help rebuild the city, where, in that same year, he entered into partnership with Otto G. Simonson (1862-1922), establishing the firm of Simonson and Pietsch, which lasted until about 1908. His principle works in Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
include Eastern High School
Eastern High School (Baltimore, Maryland)
Eastern High School is a historic female high school located at Baltimore, Maryland, United States. It is a three story, "H"-shaped structure, with a main lateral section and four projecting wings. It has a steel and concrete frame with red brick cladding in the Tudor Revival style...
, the Public Market, the U.S. Fidelity & Guarantee Building, the Lanahan Warehouse, Broadway Pier (the City Pier or "Recreation Pier," located on Thames Street between Broadway and Ann Street, which opened on August 20, 1914; built by the city at a cost of over $1 million as a commercial pier with community facilities, including a ballroom, on the top floor), the Tin Decorating Company plant, the Industrial Building, the Sonneborn Building
Sonneborn Building
Sonneborn Building, also known as Paca-Pratt Building, is a historic loft building located at Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Designed by Theodore Wells Pietsch, it is a nine-story loft building constructed in 1905 of "fireproof" reinforced-concrete construction, faced in buff-colored brick,...
, Fallsway Viaduct, Zion Church, the Association of Commerce Building, Jackson Place School, the residence of Dr. E. G. Mars, 5 Blythewood Road, the facades of numerous motion picture theaters (e.g., the Elektra, the New Wilson, and Excelsior), and his greatest contribution, the St. Philip and St. James Catholic Church, 2801 North Charles Street, Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
, a cruciform edifice of Roman classic design, constructed of Indiana limestone
Indiana Limestone
Indiana Limestone, also known as Bedford Limestone is a common regional term for Salem limestone, a geological formation primarily quarried in south central Indiana between Bloomington and Bedford....
, completed in 1929. Works outside Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
include the Maryland House of Correction
Maryland House of Correction
The Maryland House of Correction, nicknamed "The Cut" or "The House", was a Maryland Department of Corrections state maximum security prison in an unincorporated area in Maryland. Most of its territory was in Anne Arundel County, while portions were in Howard County. The prison opened in 1879 and...
in Jessup, Maryland
Jessup, Maryland
Jessup is an unincorporated town and census-designated place in Howard County, Maryland and Anne Arundel County, Maryland. The population was 7,865 at the 2000 census. The center of population of Maryland is located in Jessup. It was the location of Maryland House of Correction, which was one of...
.
Personal life
He became a citizen and resident of the State of Maryland on October 27, 1908, at which time he gave his address as "Mt. Royal Apts." A poet of sorts, he published a number of his works in local newspapers. Fluent in the French languageFrench language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, he served in 1917–1918 as an instructor in French to officers of the 316th regiment at Camp Meade, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
. He was awarded two medals in architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
from the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-arts. He was a member of the American Institute of Architects
American Institute of Architects
The American Institute of Architects is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to support the architecture profession and improve its public image...
, elected March 10, 1903; a member of Friends of Art, Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
; a Democrat; a Protestant; and an active member of the University, Merchants, Jockey, and Elkridge clubs. His residence was at 27 Wickford Road (later changed to 4327), Roland Park, Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
, which he purchased in about 1912; his office was at 1210-11 American Building, Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
.
On November 7, 1911, Pietsch married Gertrude Carroll Zell (May 2, 1888 – May 5, 1968), with whom he had three sons: Theodore Wells Pietsch, Jr. (September 23, 1912, Baltimore – August 24, 1993, Everett, Washington); John Oliver Carroll Pietsch (July 21, 1914, Baltimore – December 15, 1986, Birmingham, Michigan); Robert Brooke Pietsch (April 28, 1923, Baltimore – ). On the morning of January 1, 1930, he committed suicide in his studio above the garage (which he himself designed) behind the Wickford Road house, the apparent reasons being worry over ill health and large loss of money during the 1929 stock market crash
Stock market crash
A stock market crash is a sudden dramatic decline of stock prices across a significant cross-section of a stock market, resulting in a significant loss of paper wealth. Crashes are driven by panic as much as by underlying economic factors...
. He is buried at the New Cathedral Cemetery, 4300 Old Frederick Road, Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
.