Pietz of Pietz & Michal Architects

Paul Pietz, who co-founded Pietz & Michal Architects, died recently. He practiced architecture in Keene from 1982 to 1996. Examples of Pietz's work can be seen in his Wright Museum, devoted to the World War II years, located in Wolfeboro, where a fighting tank is placed breaking through the front wall to attract the public. He teamed with others to design improvements to the city such as the downtown banner system, Railroad Sq., a vest-pocket park on Main St., and the West St. additions to The Ashuelot River Park. Early in his career he worked on "Interface Providence" which led to the rejuvenation of downtown Providence. He contributed to successful efforts to put Providence's Union Station on the Historic Register, saving it from a plan to demolish the station. In Keene, he was unsuccessful in saving the former old Freight House on the city's railroad land, for which he had designed re-use plans to make it a welcome center and museum to the city's rail and manufacturing heritage. He was, however, instrumental in a local effort called "Save the Mill Buildings Now" that raised the funds to move two Civil War era buildings to a new site and put them to new uses. Pietz's architectural work includes The Fireboat House, an educational solar demonstration project on a pier in Manhattan, The Five Gables Inn in Boothbay, Maine, Pine Cobble School in Williamstown, Mass., and Eagle's Loft Ltd. in Keene.