Ford, Powell & Carson’s relationship with the Alamo spans more than four decades of planning, preservation, and rehabilitation. Beginning with the site’s first comprehensive Master Plan in 1978, FPC has returned to the complex through successive generations of work, building a detailed understanding of its history, materials, and changing conditions. That continuity allows each new effort to benefit from what came before, supporting a long-term approach to stewardship rather than a series of isolated projects.
Other early master plans in 1985 and 1990 addressed the preservation of existing structures, visitor interpretation, future site development, and the reintroduction of native plant species. In the 1990s, FPC oversaw conservation repairs to the Church façade, moisture mitigation, roof work, improvements to visitor circulation, and the design of the Alamo Wall of History. A new comprehensive Master Plan completed in 2007 documented existing conditions and established recommendations for future preservation and custodianship.
More recent work has included moisture investigation and remediation at the Gift Museum, assessment of the complex’s mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems, accessibility improvements, and repairs to the Alamo Arcade. FPC also completed a Comprehensive Needs Assessment covering thirteen buildings and multiple site features, bringing together existing documentation, identifying needed repairs, and creating a prioritized ten-year framework for planning and budgeting. FPC contributed to preservation planning documents (2018-2020) and subsequent early preservation and restoration phases at the Alamo Church and Long Barrack in 2021-2022.
Throughout this work, FPC has collaborated with specialist consultants experienced in historic buildings and coordinated closely with the Texas Historical Commission and other stakeholders. Guided by the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties, the firm’s work at the Alamo continues to support the careful preservation of one of Texas's most significant historic places.