Thoney Pietro (1878-1972)

Thoney Pietro was born Ferdinando Pitassi in 1878. A native of Genoa, Italy, the young Italian learned stonemasonry with his grandfather. After immigrating to the United States in 1896, Pitassi’s name became Americanized to Thoney Pietro. The immigrant found his way to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he developed a reputation as a master bricklayer. Pietro married in the late 1890s and first saw Morgantown while on vacation with his wife. The town reminded Pietro of his native Italy, and the couple moved there near the turn of the nineteenth century.

Once established in Morgantown, Pietro created the Thoney Pietro construction company. Morgantown’s population was booming, and the demand for infrastructure was high. Pietro’s company was responsible for roads, retaining walls, landscaping, and utility construction. The Thoney Pietro Constuction Company was the largest Works Progress Administration contractor in the Morgantown area. By 1930, Pietro’s company had expanded to Baltimore, Philadelphia, and throughout West Virginia. In addition to public constructions, Pietro is also famous for his ornate home styled on an Italian fortress and known as Pietro’s Castle. Pietro and his family lived in the castle from 1933 until 1949. When Pietro moved into a more modest home near downtown Morgantown, he deeded the castle to the Franciscan Friars.

In addition to his reputation as a mason and businessman, Pietro was also active in the Morgantown community. In particular, his local efforts were focused on workers and Italian-American immigrants. He advocated for fair workers wages and conditions, pushed for Italian to be taught in public schools, and was a frequent newspaper commenter on the United States’ international relations with Italy. Pietro shaped both the physical and cultural fabric of Morgantown through his business and personal contributions. 

Exhibit: Thoney Pietro: A Morgantown Visionary. Morgantown History Museum News. 1 - 1.

Fuller, J Patrick. The Castle, August 4th 2010. Accessed September 2nd 2020. http://everipedia-storage.s3.amazonaws.com/NewlinkFiles/17042367/cbfe0___/fuller-doctor-j-patrick-the-castle-brevard-communi.pdf.

"Seek Restoration of Colonies to Italians." Indiana Gazette (Indiana) May 8th 1946. , 9-9.

Testament to the Brick Laying Prowess of Thoney Pietro, West Virginia and Regional History Center. Accessed September 3rd 2020. https://wvhistoryonview.org/catalog/032596.

Thompson, Griffin. The Development of Architecture in South Park Community, Morgantown, WV, Accessed September 3rd 2020. https://slideplayer.com/slide/8067453/.

Thoney Pietro, Contractor, Papers. Morgantown, WV. West Virginia and Regional History Center.

Who Built Morgantown, Morgantown Magazine. June 29th 2017. Accessed September 3rd 2020. https://morgantownmag.com/who-built-morgantown/.