Bill Higgins

William J. Higgins received a BA degree in English Literature from Boston College (magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa), and an MS degree in historic preservation from Columbia University.  His more than twenty years of historic preservation experience encompasses 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 fifteen 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 including the American Museum of Natural History, CBS, CS First Boston, The Related Companies, Scholastic Inc., The Gap, New York Hospital, the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, and others.  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.

Education
BA, Boston College (English)
MS, Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning & Preservation

Teaching Experience
Pratt Institue, Adjunct Assistant Professor (2008 – 2012)
Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning & Preservation, Lecturer (1995 – 2014)