Principals

Bill Higgins has more than forty years of historic preservation experience encompassing nearly all aspects of the profession, including documentation, historic construction analysis and conservation; regulatory and design review at state, federal and local levels; museum restoration; historic rehabilitation; real estate development; and writing and lecturing.  Previous to the past 25 years as principal of his historic preservation consulting firm, Mr. Higgins was the statewide director of restoration for New York State-owned historic sites, and project development manager for a real estate firm specializing in rehabilitation and historic preservation.  He has extensive experience in applying and interpreting the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation, both as a government reviewer for the New York State Historic Preservation Office and as a private consultant to a range of private, public, corporate and institutional clients. Mr. Higgins has written and lectured widely on preservation theory and practice, including historic preservation tax incentives, stone conservation and historic building maintenance.  Mr. Higgins is a Trustee of the James Marston Fitch Charitable Trust, which provides research grants to mid-career professionals in historic preservation.  He is also past  Secretary of the New York State Chapter of the Association for Preservation Technology.

Elise Quasebarth’s background in documentation and analysis of historic properties is extensive, as is her knowledge of cultural compliance and design review at the state, federal and local levels; she has wide experience applying the Department of Interior Standards for Historic Preservation. Ms. Quasebarth has directed many of the firm’s projects including investment tax credit rehabilitations (commercial, residential and affordable housing), historic structure reports, Section 106 reviews, preservation planning studies for institutions, and NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission reviews for preservation and new construction.  Her successful rehabilitations include office and loft buildings, warehouses, factories and hotels for private developers as well as not-for-profit developers who utilize both the low-income and historic tax credits. 

Prior to establishing the current partnership, Ms. Quasebarth worked on a variety of historic preservation projects in Washington, DC, and New York for the public, private and not-for-profit sectors including neighborhood surveys, seminars and publications.  She has also served on the technical staff of the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission, and the faculties of the State University of New York, Parsons School of Design and Columbia University.

Ward Dennis has a background as an architectural conservator and architectural historian, and an expertise land-use and planning, construction history and restoration processes.  His work at Higgins, Quasebarth & Partners centers on projects requiring governmental review at the federal, state and local levels, and specializes in projects requiring complicated land-use reviews and special zoning permits.  Ward is a co-author of The Maintenance and Repair of Architectural Sandstone, a technical publication of the New York Landmarks Conservancy (2003). He has been involved in editorial work on a number of architecture history books, and has lectured extensively on Brooklyn’s architecture, history, industry and waterfront. Ward is currently a visiting assistant professor in the Historic Preservation Program at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn and previously served as an adjunct assistant professor in the Historic Preservation program of Columbia University’s School of Architecture, Planning & Preservation. Ward is a board member of North Brooklyn Neighbors and the Open Space Alliance of North Brooklyn, a member of the steering committee of Friends of Bushwick Inlet Park and a member of the Preservation Committee of the Muncipal Art Society.

Erin Rulli directs all research efforts for Higgins Quasebarth & Partners, including National Register nominations, determinations of eligibility and local landmark designations. Her expertise in research, architectural history and historic preservation plays an important role in many of the firm’s most complex projects. In addition, she manages many projects subject to review at the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission. Prior to joining HQ, Ms. Rulli was the site and property manager for the St. Mark’s Historic Landmark Fund and the Neighborhood Preservation Center in New York City.

Cas Stachelberg’s work with the firm is wide-ranging and includes directing restoration and rehabilitation projects of varying scales at the local, state and federal levels.  He brings a wealth of knowledge to each project, integrating various aspects of the discipline including historical documentation, site investigation, technical preservation assessment, design analysis, and regulatory review.  As a principal in the firm, Mr. Stachelberg works with private, corporate, not-for-profit, and institutional clients on projects involving local New York City landmarks review, state and federal review under Sections 14.09 and Section 106, and the investment tax credit.   He directs the office’s retail projects. Cas has written articles on a variety of preservation topics, including the R. Guastavino Company’s early history in New York City, and co-authored a Tech Note for the National Park Service on the repair and rehabilitation of cast-iron sidewalk vault lights.  Independently, Mr. Stachelberg has lectured at local universities, speaking on topics related to architectural history and preservation theory and practice.  He has also been involved in international preservation efforts, serving on the faculty of a post-war reconstruction conference held in the city of Mostar, Bosnia-Hercegovina. 


Associates

Research associate Lindsay Peterson has extensive experience researching buildings and sites in New York City. Her work within the firm includes research in local institutions such as the NYC Department of Buildings, the Municipal Archives, the New York Public Library, and the New-York Historical Society. With a background in architectural and urban history, she is able to synthesize her findings to inform the approach to a wide variety of the firm’s projects. Ms. Peterson also has significant experience writing National Register determinations of eligibility, and individual building and district nominations, such as the New York Navy Yard Historic District (to be listed on the National Register in 2014). Lindsay holds a doctorate in architectural history from the Institute of Fine Arts, a graduate school within New York University, and is an Adjunct Instructor in the Art History program of NYU’s College of Arts and Science, where she teaches classes on New York City architecture as well as painting and sculpture.

Associate Sarah Ripple holds a Master of Science in Historic Preservation with a focus in architectural conservation from Columbia University. Having previously worked with both public preservation agencies and private architecture and engineering firms, Sarah has considerable experience employing local and federal preservation regulations, including district-specific rules, Section 106 requirements, and National Register determinations of eligibility. Prior to joining HQ, Sarah served as a Landmarks Preservationist with the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission and Plans Examiner and Architectural Historian for the Vieux Carré Commission in New Orleans. She also worked as a preservation specialist for Preservation Design Partnership and Johnson, Mirmiran & Thompson in Philadelphia.

Julie Rosen is an associate at Higgins Quasebarth & Partners, where her work is informed by her background in historic preservation, facade restoration/conservation and construction management. Prior to joining Higgins Quasebarth, Ms. Rosen was a Project Manager at Kamen Tall Architects in New York City, where she oversaw the planning, design and execution of projects throughout the five boroughs. Since 2014, Ms. Rosen has served on the board of Preservation Alumni, Columbia University’s Historic Preservation alumni association. Ms. Rosen is an expert in the history of early twentieth century face brick and has guest lectured on the topic at Columbia University. Ms. Rosen has an M.S. in Historic Preservation from Columbia University and a B.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Sarah Sher, an associate at Higgins Quasebarth & Partners, holds a B.A. with a major in architectural history and a M.S. in historic preservation from Columbia University. Her conservation theory master’s thesis received the Catherine Hoover Voorsanger Writing Prize from the Buell Center for the Study of American Architecture. Prior to joining HQ, Sarah worked for World Monuments Fund, where she managed a range of conservation projects throughout Europe and Asia. Sarah has lectured at national and international conferences on topics relating to conservation and adaptive re-use of historic buildings. In addition to her international experience, Sarah also worked for a number of local NYC preservation and urban planning non-profit organizations.

Jonathan D. Taylor, an associate at Higgins, Quasebarth & Partners, is a graduate of Harvard College and the Historic Preservation program of Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation. In addition to his work at HQ, he is a collaborating editor of a forthcoming revised edition of the late Charles Lockwood’s Bricks & Brownstone (Rizzoli).