Julius Pitzman was born in Halberstadt, Prussia (now eastern Germany) in 1837. He came to the United States in 1854 at the age of 17 with his mother and two sisters and initially lived in Milwaukee where he worked as a clerk in the Milwaukee Post Office. During this time, his brother-in-law, Charles E. Solomon, who also immigrated to the U.S. from Prussia, ended up in St. Louis and soon after, Pitzman followed and was among 7000 German immigrants that settled in St. Louis during the mid 19th century. Shortly after arrival, Pitzman began working as a surveyor for Solomon and in 1859, he took over his brother-in-law’s business, which marked the establishment of Pitzman’s Co. of Surveyors and Engineers. The first year of business showed significant promise as it managed to generate a significant profit despite Pitzman still being relatively novice.

Not long after the establishment of his company, Julius Pitzman volunteered his services to the U.S. military. During this time, he crafted a military map of St. Louis and later, he was appointed first lieutenant of the Topographical Engineers; these opportunities allowed him to heighten the skills that contributed to his successful career later in life. While conducting a survey of the Vicksburg siege line, Pitzman sustained a career ending injury and was forced to retire with the rank of Major. Pitzman returned to St. Louis and was immediately given the position of county surveyor, allegedly while he was still in crutches recovering from his injuries.

Throughout his extensive career as a surveyor and city planner, which spanned nearly six decades, Pitzman was foundational in the development of many St. Louis landmarks, most notably Forest Park. The growing popularity of St. Louis, fueled partially by the centrality of the city (in comparison to the greater U.S.), made it an attractive spot for companies to move their operations to. More jobs and more housing meant that urban living was more accessible than ever before, and thus, the city began to grow. By the end of the 19th century, the city was booming and the infrastructure was struggling to keep up. Once quiet neighborhoods were now becoming overpopulated and longtime residents began to seek out the serenity that they had become accustomed to. Julius Pitzman understood these concerns and responded to them by introducing private neighborhoods. Often gated or partially walled off, these revolutionary neighborhoods offered a feeling of seclusion and safety while still being located within the urban center. During this time, zoning laws in cities were informal at best, but often times were nonexistent which meant that large commercial establishments were being built in between houses. In contrast, private neighborhoods had common ground owned by the residents, rather than the city, which allowed these areas to stay strictly residential, and quiet. Most notable of these private neighborhoods are Claverach Park in Clayton, Portland Place, Compton Heights, Parkview, and Flora Boulevard. Pitzman essentially recognized the dynamics of urban living and, in many ways, transformed the City of St. Louis to meet the demands of a growing population and accommodate the shift towards cars as the newly popularized mode of transportation.

Julius Pitzman approached urban development differently than many others because he saw value in the natural environment. Rather than contribute to the rigid infrastructure that characterized many urban landscapes, he sought to integrate nonconventional features that incorporated the area’s natural topography into his design visions, including curved roads and rolling hills. Pitzman understood that the key to making neighborhoods desirable is acknowledging their original landscapes and using their natural features as an advantage.

In 1923, Julius Pitzman died at the age of 87 and Pitzman’s Co. was taken over by his son, Frederick Pitzman. However, even a century later, the revolutionary work of Pitzman is still evident throughout the city.