 Born in Allegheny City, now commonly known as the North Side of Pittsburgh, PA, Stotz spent a brief time in Europe before setting up shop in his home region in 1893.He established the architecture firm that is now MacLachlan, Cornelius, & Filoni, along the way holding the presidency of the Pennsylvania State Association of Architects, a forerunner to the PA chapter of the American Institute of Architects and designing numerous school buildings, churches, and other buildings of interest along the way.He was also the father of Charles M. Stotz, also an architect, photographer, and an advocate for preservation of historic structures in and around the city.