Background
Theodore Wells was born on October 2, 1868, in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Son of Charles Francis and Florence Augusta (Wells) Pietsch.
Theodore Wells was born on October 2, 1868, in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Son of Charles Francis and Florence Augusta (Wells) Pietsch.
Student Massachusetts Institute Technology, 1885-1889, École des Beaux Arts (Paris), 1892-1898.
Theodore began his career working for the architectural firms of Flanders & Zimmerman (John Flanders and William Carbys Zimmerman) and Burnham & Root (Daniel Hudson Burnham and John Wellborn Root), both of Chicago; left the U.S. on 12 September 1891 for Paris where he lived initially at 9 rue Compagne Premier and later at 7 rue des Saint Pères; recommended on 28 November 1891 to the Directeur de l’Ecole National des Beaux Arts by the U.S. Legation in Paris; applied for admission in February 1892, admitted on 1 August 1892; initially a student of Charles Wable, later (in 1892) Marcel Lambert (1847‒1928, professor at the Ecole des Beaux Arts from 1888‒1912, chief architect of the Versailles estate); ranked first in his class; awarded two bronze medals in architectural history; received the French Government Diploma for Architecture on 17 December 1897 (see Chicago Daily Tribune, 19 December 1897, p. 13), the ninth American to receive this award (thesis project: design for a crematorium; original drawings in the Ryerson and Burnham Archives, Art Institute of Chicago; published by Armand Guérinet, L’Architecture aux Salons, 1898, pls. 143‒145, 161‒163; and in The Inland Architect and News Record, 31(2):12, March 1898 (see also 31(5):44, June 1898; 31(6):57, July 1898; 32(6):53, January 1899); honorary mention (drawings exhibited) at the Salon (Paris) in 1898; after his return to the U.S. in 1898, he spent two years in New York offices, with competitive work (for a time, with the architectural firm of Howard, Cauldwell & Morgan); this was 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; when the Great Baltimore Fire 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 1908 (dissolved on 11 February 1908 by mutual consent; see Baltimore Sun, Friday, 21 February 1908, p. 3); his principle works in Baltimore include Eastern High School, the Public Market, and Baths, the U.S. Fidelity & Guaranty Building, the Lanahan Warehouse, Broadway Pier (the City Pier or “Recreation Pier,” 1715 Thames Street between Broadway and Ann Street, opened on 20 August 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; now the Sagamore Pendry Hotel), the Tin Decorating Company’s Plant, Fallsway Viaduct, Fallsway Fountain Monument, the adjoining parish hall and tower of Zion Church (1912‒1913), the Association of Commerce Building, Jackson Place School, the residence of Dr. Ernest G. Mars, 5 Blythewood Road (construction completed January 1928), and his most famous work, the St. Philip & St. James Catholic Church, 2801 North Charles Street, a cruciform edifice of classic Greco-Roman and Byzantine design, constructed of Indiana limestone, completed in late 1929 and dedicated on 15 June 1030; works outside Baltimore include the Maryland House of Correction, Jessup; he became a citizen and resident of the State of Maryland on 27 October 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 language, he was an instructor in French to officers of the 316th regiment at Camp Meade, Maryland, 1917‒1918; associate of the American Institute of Architects (elected 10 March 1903); member of Friends of Art, Baltimore; a democrat; a Protestant who, despite encouragement from his Catholic wife, never converted to Catholicism; club memberships: University, Merchants, Jockey, Elkridge, and Baltimore (elected 4 April 1912); residence at 27 Wickford Road (later changed to 4327), Roland Park, purchased in about 1913; his office was at 1210‒11 American Building, Baltimore; on the morning of 1 January 1930 he committed suicide in his studio above the garage (which he himself designed) behind the Wickford Road house, some say because of depression, worry over ill health, and/or large loss of money during the stock market crash, but others believe that constant nagging from his wife to convert to Catholicism drove him to it; last will and testament filed at Orphans’ Court of Baltimore City, 27 November 1929, registered by Edwin R. Downes, witnessed by Frank H. Zimmerman, William J. Casey, and F. S. Chadaway, bequeathing “all of my estate [estimated at $15,000, value in 2017 about $210,550] of every kind and description, and whatever the same may be, to my wife, Gertrude Zell Pietsch, her heirs, representatives, and assigns” (“on the 6th day of January 1930, came Gertrude Zell Pietsch and made oath in due form of law, that she does not know of any Will or Codicil of Theodore Wells Pietsch late of said city, deceased, other than the above instrument of writing, and that she found the same in Safe Deposit Box at the Safe Deposit & Trust Co., and that the said Theodore Wells Pietsch departed this life on the 1st day of January 1930. Sworn to before the subscriber Edwin R. Downes, Register of Wills of Baltimore City,” No. 25, Case No. 449, File No. 10495); funeral services held on Friday, 3 January, at his home, 4327 Wickford Road, conducted by the Rev. Dr. Arthur B. Kinsolving, rector of St. Paul’s Protestant Episcopal Church; active pallbearers Charles W. Hurst, William J. Casey, E. J. Dickey, Edward Belise, William H. Emory, Jr., and Frank H. Zimmerman; honorary pallbearers Governor Richie, Stuart S. Janney, Arthur W. Machen, Jr., Harry M. Benzinger, Pembroke M. Womble, R. E. Lee Taylor, Bayard Turnbull, and Dr. John Ruhrah; buried at New Cathedral Cemetery, 4300 Old Frederick Road, Baltimore, in Lot 33, Section ZZ, Grave No. 2.
Refused to convert to Catholicism despite nagging from his wife.
Married Gertrude Zell, November 7, 1911. Children: Theodore Wells, John Oliver Carroll, Robert Brooke.