Paul J. Pelz was a partner in the firm of Smithmeyer & Pelz, original architects of the Congressional Library in Washington.
Background
Paul J. Pelz was born in 1841 in Silesia (province of Prussia), Germany. His father, a writer and historian, who for political reasons was obliged to leave Germany, migrated to New York, and a few years later sent for his son Paul to join him.
Career
The youth, whose ambition it was to become an architect, began training as an apprentice to the late D. Lienau under whom he worked for five years (1859-64) and for two additional years served as draftsman in the office. After a later period of employment with Henry Fernbach, Mr. Pelz left New York to serve as architect and engineer for the U. S. Lighthouse Board at Washington, D. C.
When in 1873 a nation-wide competition was instituted for plans of a proposed Congressional Library building in Washington, Pelz formed a partnership with John L. Smithmeyer, then employed as Superintendent of Construction for the U S. Supervising Architect, and together they prepared plans for the Library. While they were successful in winning the com¬petition, nothing was done toward the erection of the building until more than ten years had elapsed, then in 1886 Mr. Pelz was appointed offical architect. Two years later he was requested to prepare a new design for the building. In the meantime however he was superseded as architect by General Thomas L. Casey, Chief of Army Engineers, and subsequent to 1892 when Mr. Pelz completed his drawings, he had no further connection with work on the structure. It was subsequently completed under the supervision of Edward P. Casey (see) son of the General, then a young architect practicing in New York.
For payment from the Government for their architectural services Mr. Pelz and his partner were obliged to bring suit in the amount of $210,000, a sum equal to three percent of the alleged cost of the Library. In January of 1893 the case was appealed to the Supreme Court which subsequently upheld the earlier decision of the Court of Claims awarding the architects six years salary at $8000 a year, plus their office and drafting expenses.
Although best remembered for their connection with the Congressional Library, Smithmeyer and Pelz also designed a number of public buildings in Washington and other cities. Among them might be cited the U. S. Armory and Naval Hospital, Hot Springs, Ark., Carnegie Library and Music Hall at Allegheny, Pa., Academic Building, Georgetown University, Washington; Administration Building at the Clinic Hospital, University of Virginia, and the Chamberlain Hotel, Old Point Comfort, Va. Independently Mr. Pelz planned a number of residences in Washington, one of which was built for the late Senator Foraker.