Detroit Architects: Malcomson & Higginbotham

Founded in 1890 by William G. Malcomson and William E. Higginbotham, Malcomson & Higginbotham was a prominent architectural firm in the late 19th and early 20th centuries that had a major impact on the city’s residential (suburban), civic, educational, and commercial expansion.

Best known for constructing many of Detroit’s public-school buildings (for example, Central High School, Cass Technical High School, and Northern High School), Malcomson & Higginbotham was one of Michigan’s most trusted architectural firms and one that shaped the architectural backdrop of education across the city for over three decades while also constructing everything from libraries to hospitals, fire stations, commercial structures, and major institutions like the Belle Isle Aquarium.

With a style rooted in Tudor, Richardsonian Romanesque, Gothic, and Classical Revival influences, the firm excelled at prestigious massing, sophisticated brick craftsmanship, and clever compositions that conveyed abundance, presence, permanence, and civic pride. 

As for their upscale residential commissions, look no further than their three Herbert J. Conn Indian Village properties located at 1411 Burns, 1490 Iroquois, and 1417 Seminole.

Together, these residences (commissioned by the Conn family) demonstrate the hallmarks of Malcomson & Higginbotham’s design approach: sturdy massing, classy brickwork, beautifully crafted façades, and spacious interiors perfectly suited for comfort and entertaining.

Today, their presence in the neighborhood underlines the fact that the same master-level architects entrusted with defining Detroit’s civic and cultural identity were also designing its finest private homes.

Malcomson & Higginbotham’s work remains a cornerstone of Detroit’s residential environment — a legacy of beauty, discipline, and architectural permanence.