Alan Higgins, MS
Co-Director of Architectural and Cultural History
Historian
Alan Higgins has both a B.S. and M.S. in Historic Preservation and has a wide array of experience, ranging from conducting cultural historic resource surveys to completing historic structures reports to preservation planning. Alan came to CRA in early 2011 and currently serves as the Assistant Director of Architectural and Cultural History and Project Manager for cultural historic projects in Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri. His duties include project management, technical review of reports, developing scopes of work and budgets, and marketing. As an architectural historian, he is also responsible for documenting and evaluating resources.
Prior to coming to CRA, Alan was a Senior Historic Preservation Planner in the Philadelphia metropolitan region. In this capacity he was responsible for monitoring HUD-funded, CDBG-funded, and general land development projects for their effect on historic resources. In addition, Alan developed design guidelines, revitalization plans, maintenance manuals, and preservation ordinances, as well as completed NRHP assessments, historic resource surveys, and historic context studies. Alan has also worked in close association with the Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites Division to develop historic structures reports for state-owned properties; the Galveston Historical Foundation in Galveston, Texas, on heritage tourism initiatives; and the Great Indy Neighborhoods Initiative on revitalization plans.
Alan also has recognized experience in the documentation and preservation of modern and recent past (post-1961) resources. He has developed architectural guides and building typologies for these resources and completed resource surveys and historic context studies for the post-1941 era. He has presented his work at the local, state, and national levels. Since 2007, Alan has been active with the Recent Past Preservation Network, a national non-profit organization dedicated to monitoring the documentation and preservation of modern and recent past resources. Since 2008, he has served on the Board of Directors, and, as of 2011, he is serving as President of the organization. He manages their research database, edits and publishes a quarterly magazine, and responds to preservation and documentation needs throughout the country. Alan also sits on the Indiana Modern committee of Indiana Landmarks, the statewide non-profit preservation organization.
When not at work, Alan enjoys buying and selling antiques, photography, and travelling. Most of all, he enjoys spending time at home with his wife Holly and son Ewan.