Louisa Plumb Pieper

Born Louisa Plumb on April 29, 1938 in Buffalo New York to John Scott Plumb and Jean MacDonald Plumb. Louisa grew up in East Aurora, NY and then the Allentown Historic District of Buffalo. She attended the Buffalo Seminary, graduating in 1956 then went to Vassar College, graduating in 1960. While attending Vassar she met Al Pieper. After graduation, Louisa attended Harvard for one year to pursue a masters degree in Architecture. She left the program at Harvard to marry Al. Al and Louisa settled in Stamford Connecticut. In addition to raising two daughters, Louisa worked at various architectural firms.

In 1968, Louisa and family moved to Ann Arbor, where she attended the University of Michigan and received a master’s degree in Landscape architecture. Louisa again found work at a local architecture firm. She also volunteered with the local Civic theatre, Girl Scouts and various PTO activities. Not long after, Louisa became involved in preservation. She worked with an organization called Citizen Association for Area Planning, where she discovered the city’s historic district commission’s need for funding. She volunteered on the funding project and eventually became the Historic Preservation Coordinator for Ann Arbor, where she served for more than 20 years. Louisa played a leading role in shaping the study groups and public action that have produced fourteen Ann Arbor historic districts.

She is one of the founders of the Michigan Historic Preservation Network, spearheading its incorporation in 1989 and securing its non-profit status in 1990. She guided three generations of amendments to the state, enabling legislation to keep local protective ordinances and districts strong. She also worked on state legislation that provided a 25% investment tax credit for rehabilitation of historic properties. Louisa filled leadership roles, planned conferences, was a popular speaker, solicited gifts and was the resource on demolition by neglect, due process, and economic hardship.

Louisa was a board member of the National Alliance of Preservation Commissions. She was involved in the “Preservation Commission Identification Project” that documented the number of commissions in the United States. The number of historic district commissions nationwide effectively doubled during this time.

For the past 28 years Louisa worked tirelessly to create the Downtown Ann Arbor Historical Street Exhibit Program. She played an indispensable role in site development, research and writing, as well as fundraising, promotion and integration of the program into the high school social studies curriculum. Her leadership led to the winning of major awards for the City of Ann Arbor and the DDA.

At every turn, Louisa has made Ann Arbor a better place. She was a founding member of the Kempf House Society, serving many times as president and advocate for the society’s Museum’s restoration. She was involved with the establishment of Washtenaw County’s Museum on Main Street, served on the board of the historic Michigan Theater, was instrumental in establishing the Cobblestone Farm Association and helped form the Ann Arbor Historical Foundation. Louisa was a founder and co-chair of Ann Arbor Preservation Alliance and was a participant in the 2008 updating of Ann Arbor’s Historic District Ordinance. She was also involved in the “Making of Ann Arbor” project, an innovative Ann Arbor District Library website.

Louisa was a docent at the University of Michigan’s Detroit Observatory for 18 years, providing tours of the 1854 meridian circle telescope. She also volunteered for 14 years at Ten Thousand Villages on Main and was and huge supporter of global crafts and fair trade. In her spare time, Louisa loved to sew, knit, needlepoint, garden and was an avid reader.

Louisa will be missed by her many friends who would describe her as strong, humble, modest, kind, a brilliant mind and a truly great friend. She is survived by her beloved husband of 56 years, Al Pieper, Sister Joan (John) Reeves, daughter Lisa (Scott Brown) Pieper-Brown, daughter Gillian (Karen Pike) Pieper, Grandchildren Amanda, Jessica and Sarah Brown, James Pieper-Lococo, David and Emma Riesner, great grandchildren Harrison and Calliope Pieper-Lococo, Nephews Eric, Scott and Heath Schmidt.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Friday, November 16, 2018 at 10:30 a.m. at the Michigan Theater located at 603 E Liberty Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48104.

For another look at Louisa’s community contributions please visit this Mlive article:

https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/index.ssf/2018/08/louisa_pieper_remembered_for_t.html