Azurest South
Azurest South
Azurest South
N a t ~ o n a lPark S e r v l c e
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.Azurest South
Chesterfield County. Virginia
The dwelling called Azurest South is a compact but articulate example of the International
Style. located adjacent to the campus of Virginia State University. It was designed in 1938 by
Amaza Lee Meredith as her own residence and completed in 1939. Built of concrete block
rendered in white-panted stucco, the rlat-roofed. one-story structure exhibits the smooth. clean
lines associated with its style. Its crisp. geometric forms are set off by a lush landscaped setting-a sloping grassy dell surrounded by mature trees. The structure is connected to the surrounding
garden through a series of curving pipe rails and by the extending, cormgated roof of the open
carport. The distinguishing features of the house are the asymmetrical massing, the curved
comers accentuated by narrow bands of $lass-block. and the complete lack of applied ornament.
The i~ousehas been unoccupied for neariv a decade but remains in good condition without
signiiicant alteration. D e a l s and finishe; designed by Miss Meredith survive intact, though
some are obscured by a recent coat of white paint. Miss Meredith's interior design is
characterized by dramatic use of color. vivid patterning of walls, floors and ceilings, and the use
of inventive lighting fixtures. The house functioned in part as a design laboratory and studio
for Miss Meredith. so its appearance evolved subtly over the years, retlecting Miss Meredith's
studies of color and material. The most significant changes to the house occurred in the 1950s
when the garage was converted to a studio, the carport added, and the kitchen entry infilled with
cormgated fiberglass walls.
United S t a t e s Deparrment o f t h e I n t e r l o r
Natronal Park S e r v l c e
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izurest South
Chesteriield Count?. i'irginia
dominant feature of the exterior is the bedroom wing whose curved comers are
articulated Lvirh horizontal ribbon windows of glass block. A glass-block sidelight at the front
door illuminates the coat closet. Glass-block sidelights in the living room window are echoed
in the window centered in the shower wall. A single band of glass-block was positioned above
the day bed in the first studio. .A glass-block sidelight for the kitchen door is now enclosed by
a curved. corrugated fiberglass vest~buleof terra cotta red that shelters the kitchen entrance. The
vestibule was added by Miss Meredith in the 1950s to provide an airlock between the kitchen and
her new studio space in what had formerly been the garage.
Projecting from the west side of the house, adjacent to the kitchen entry is the former
garage. enclosed in the 1950s by Miss Meredith to create a studio and dark room. The garage
doors were removed and aluminum windows were installed on the south and west elevations.
The open carport, roofed with conugated fiberglass, is supported on slender pipe columns.
The man entrance to the house is positioned at a re-entrant angle near the southeast
comer and is approached by cast concrete steps ascending to a quarry tile stoop. The front
doonvav retruns ev~denceof the three shades of red pant used to enliven the entry, originally
painted.".\zurest blue".
The east elevation, overloolung the creek, is dominated by a large, single-pane, square
window lighting the living room. The roof terrace above, defined by its blue pipe railing,
provides outdoor living space. Beyond the railing is the brick stack of the house's single
chimney.
The northeast comer of the house is marked by a enclosed porch. The porch, originally
screened. was later glared by Miss Meredith with jalousie windows. The whimsical north
elevation features irregularly spaced openings of different sizes and materials. Two steel
casement windows and a long slit of glass block light the earlier studio and two small sections
of glass block bring natural light to the kitchen counter.
Whereas the exterior of the house is relatively severe in its architecture, the interior of
the house is enlivened by the vivid colors of walls, floors, and ceilings. Though some of the
original colors have been whitewashed in recent years, evidence of the original paint remains
in closets and behind radiators. The judicious placement of windows and mirrors enlarges the
apparent size of this modest space. Oak floors in the living areas and pine doors partly stained
and partly painted warm the palette of materials. Miss Meredith used an original combination
of traditional and contemporary materials resulting in a blend of cultural motifs that defy
categorization. The panelled doors, picture molding, and trim are standard millwork elements.
The colorful vinyl tile, c a m g!ass, acoustical tile, and tileboard represent the most currently
available, contemporary finishes at the time of construction.
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.Azurest South
Chesterfield County, Virginia
Through the door oi the formal entry to Azurest one enrers a small vestibule with coat
closet. The naturally lit closet with its mlrro;ed door has shelves painted in contrasting blue and
green. Original door chimes are set in a painted reveal on the opposite wall.
The spacious living room is dominated bv the Art Deco fireplace composed of a thick. curving
mantel shelf which echoes the massive cukes of the pedestals. The wall behind the mantel has
been recently mirrored to the ceiling. An ell-shaped, panelled. enclosure provides a seat next
to the mantel. contains the firebox. and forms a cover for the radiator. The living room floors
are narrow oak boards set in large squares. A curtain slot in the ceiling across the west end of
the room allowed the west end to be treated as a separate dining area. Original, quarter-round,
metal sconces painted to resemble alabaster further distinguish the dining area. Indirect lighting
was conceded by the c u m n valances.
The kitchen, one of the most interesting rooms in the house, remains essentially unaltered
since Miss,Meredith's occupancy. The kitchen has original white-enameled metal cabinets and
an original gas range. The kitchen counters are decorated with brightly colored mosaic tiles set
in Miss Meredith's patterns. The geometric designs of green. black, pink, and red tiles suggest
an African aesthetic. The countenop pattern in the northwest comer spells out "Azurest SO" in
stylized pink letters. Colored tile also decorates the window sill and the wall surface above the
stove. Forming an important part of the kitchen's color scheme is the patterned pink, green, and
gray vinyl tile floor. The kitchen walls are faced with blue and pink tileboard and the ceiling
is faced with pink tileboard fixed in place with orange wooden battens. Three steps down, to
the south of the kitchen, the utility room retains such early features as an original sink, storage
cabinets, fold-down ironing board, and oil-fired furnace. The hot-water tank is suspended from
the ceiling.
The adjacent studio, which still contains Miss Meredith's books and materials, was
created in the 1950s using the original garage space. Lined with cabinets and book shelves, this
space retains its original paint scheme of reds, taupe, blue, green, and gray. The adjacent dark
room is painted dark green.
North of the living room is the original studio. Set into the west wall is a metal basrelief frieze of stylized African-American figures (referred to in Miss Meredith's scrapbook2as
"My Ladies Boudoir", executed in 1940 by Cecilia C. Scott, thought to be one of Miss
Meredith's students). The large wooden storage box along the north wall was added after Miss
Meredith's occupancy. Its wooden base with built-in drawers, however, is an original feature
and formerly served as the base for a couch or "bunk. "' The base continues along a portion of
the west wall. A steel casement window and a long single course of glass block light the room.
The studio floor is finished with turquoise vinyl tile accented with metallic gold flecks. The
door at the east end of the studio opens onto the enclosed porch which features a quarry tile
floor and a panel beneath the window opening into the living room that permits the placing w d
into the living room firebox.
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Azurest South
Chesterfield County, Virginia
South of the living room is a small vestibule which opens into the two bedrooms and the
bathroom. Like the kitchen, the bathroom displays Miss Meredith's skill at achieving decorative
effects with an unusual palette of materials. The walls are a striking combination of black and
celery green carrara glass panels and green ceramic tileboard. Black carrara glass dominates
the south wall and celery carrara glass is used on the walls above the bathtub. The bathtub,
vanity, and toilet are yellow. The ceramic tile floor is patterned in squares of buff, yellow, and
black. The bathroom also has built-in cabinets with cararra glass doors and built-in mirrors.
Also preserved are original stainless-steel accessories.
The two bedrooms are defined by the matching curves of their glass block windows.
Miss Meredith's room preserves the massive Victorian bed in which she was horn, as well as
a matching bureau and an Art Deco dresser. Dr. Colson's room in the western half of the
bedroom projection is nearly identical to the master bedroom. A book shelf featuring indirect
lighting is set into one wall. Rectangular, recessed light fixtures illuminate the curved comers
in both rooms.
Azurest South is a unique architectural creation of a well-educated woman who studied
current trends in design and materials. From the exterior, Miss Meredith's house and its
landscape embody the tenets of the International Style, rarely expressed in Virginia's residential
architecture. The interior of the residence reveals a richer blend of cultural precedents, evoking
both Miss Meredith's individual creativity and the rich material culture of African-Americans.
ENDNOTES
I . Le Corbusier. Towords o Ncw Arehircrrurr, 1927
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United S t a t e s Department of t h e I n t e r i o r
National Park S e r v i c e
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Azurest South
Chesterfield County, Virginia
STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE
Azurest South is one of the Commonwealth's few mature examples of the International
Style, a style that espoused a complete break with architectural traditions. Designed by Amaza
Lee Meredith (1895-1984), one of the nation's few black female architects, the house is a
significant landmark of African-American material culture and design. Following completion
of the dwelling in 1939 by prominent Petersburg contractor Russell Holmes, Miss Meredith lived
there with her companion Dr. Edna Meade Colson, Dean of Virginia State University's School
of Education, until her death. Trained at Columbia Teacher's College as an artist and teacher,
Miss Meredith founded the Fine Arts Department at Virginia State University in 1930. Although
principally employed as a teacher, Miss Meredith also enjoyed a limited architectural career,
designing houses and interiors for herself, family and friends in Virginia, Texas, and New York.
Azurest South, the home she built adjacent to VSU's campus, demonstrates her fascination with
avant-garde design, her familiarity with modem materials and construction details, and her
courage in expressing non-traditional ideas in the public eye of the state's first land grant college
for African Americans. At Azurest Miss Meredith blended the forms of the International Style
with colorful, highly personalized interior decoration. Architectural historian Richard Wilson
judged Azurest South to be "one of the most advanced residential designs in the state in its
day. "' Azurest provided a rich and ever-evolving setting for the lives of two remarkable women
during nearly half a century.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Amaza Lee Meredith was born in Lynchburg, Virginia on August 14, 1895. She was the
eldest child of Samuel Meredith, a respected carpenter, and Emma Kennedy. Because her father
was white and her mother black, the two could not be legally married in Virginia. Meredith was
determined to legalize his relationship with Emma Kennedy so the two journeyed to Washington,
D. C. in racially segregated railroad cars, to be married. Subsequently Meredith lost much of
his business, apparently as a result of the marriage. He took his own life in 1915.
Following graduation from high school in 1915 at the top of her class, Amaza Meredith
enrolled at the Virginia Normal and Industrial Institute near Petersburg where she received the
"Summer School Professional Certificate" for teachers. In her first summer at what was to
become Virginia State University Miss Meredith met Dr. Edna Meade Colson, daughter of
James Major Colson 111, one of the Institute's founding faculty members. Dr. Colson, Miss
Meredith's senior by 7 years, had degrees from Fisk College and from Columbia University.
She belonged to a well-educated, upper-middle-class family, descended from free blacks. Miss
Meredith and Dr. Colson were each to become highly respected members of Virginia State's
faculty as well as lifelong companions.
Having received her teaching certificate, Miss Meredith began her professional career
in Botetourt County schools, where she "found a local black community dispossessed,
disenfranchised, and complacent. "' She returned to Virginia State University, acquiring her
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National Park S e r v i c e
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Azurest South
Chesterfield County, Virginia
degree in teaching in 1922. After teaching for several more years, Miss Meredith moved with
her sister to Brooklyn where she enrolled in 1926 in Teachers' College, Columbia University
and majored in fine arts. There she received a bachelor's degree with honors in 1930 and a
master's degree in 1934.
Miss Meredith was hired by John Gandy, third president of what had become Virginia
State College for Negroes, to teach art. She struggled to provide small, primitive facilities with
the minimum equipment necessary to establish a fine arts department. In 1930 she wrote to the
campus business manager: "The sink is most urgently needed as all water used in room 8 has
to be brought and carried to and from the third floor, the center of the building. The nearest
heat is in the hospital, therefore the gas stove is badly needed." In 1935 Miss Meredith became
chair of the art department. Miss Meredith was dedicated to the notion that fine arts be included
in the public school cuniculum. She successfully sought funding for two art scholarships at
Virginia State. Photographs she took of Azurest in the 1940s, 50s, and 60s show a home
decorated with students' paintings and sculptures.
Miss Meredith began the design of Azurest South in the late 1930s. Though the plan and
axonometric are not drawn by an experienced hand, they indicate an understanding of
construction details and materials that Miss Meredith likely gained from her father. The
drawings carefully delineate treatments such as the smooth, curved walls, accentuated with
ribbons of glass block. Paths of slate flagstone are deliberately illustrated as merging with
straight-edged stoops of poured concrete. Steel pipe railings define the edge of a roof terrace
reached by way of a steel ship's ladder, very much in the manner of the French International
Style master Le Corbusier. Miss Meredith notes both materials and construction details with
equal care. Though not facile in her use of architectural vocabulary, Miss Meredith clearly gave
both the esthetics and the material functions of this project balanced consideration. Her
scrapbook of photographs' provides fascinating glimpses of Azurest under construction, in its
landscaped setting, and with an interior filled with eclectic furnishings and artwork. Outdoor
photographs hint at frequent gatherings of faculty, students, and friends in the lush, shaded dell
on the grounds.
When Miss Meredith created Azurest South, she was a middle-aged woman who had
established a small architectural practice, designing houses and interiors for family and friends'.
Little of her work is documented; her drawings are not those of a practiced architect, but rather
those of a person who was familiar with both traditional and current trends in architectural
design. She designed a house in Lynchburg for one sister and a residence in Sag Harbor for
another sister. It is likely that the largest assemblage of her architectural projects can be found
at Sag Harbor on Long Island. At Sag Harbor, a resort for wealthy whites, including the
Roosevelt family, Miss Meredith and her family and friends created Azurest North, an enclave
of vacation homes for middle-class blacks. Miss Meredith worked on design commissions at
Sag Harbor into the 1970s when she was an elderly woman. She is also known to have designed "Andot", a home near Prairie View College in Texas; a home for James Hugo Johnson on 3rd
Avenue in Ettrick; and the Education Building for Gilfield Baptist Church near Petersburg.
3 n l t e d S t a t e s Deparrment o r t5e i n t e r l o r
' t a t l o n a i ?ark S e r v l c e
J n ~ t e dS t a t e s Deoarrmenr o r t h e I n t e r l o r
X a t ~ o n a iPark S e r v x c e
;he o v e n c h e i r n ~ nu ~o r n ~ n a n c oe i r r a d i t i o r ~ a ir t r c n i r e c t u r e
at ;\zurest I S a l l t h e more r e m a r k a b l e .
in
L i r ~ l n i aA l i s s , \ l e r c u ~ t l i ' s r t i n i e v e m e n t
2 . Lu;~ous Edwards. J r . l:nyonl,rncd 1e:~urc on ~ l n a r aLec Mcrcdilh dclivcrcd 31 thc Filth Annual Symposturn on Archileclurol
Histi>rv. t i n l v e n ~ r yr l l Vlri.inra. N ~ i i z m n t r13. 1002 \ l r E d u a r d r ecncrousiy nlloueu mil s c i c s s ~ clhc inibrmai(<~n
he h n i uavlsrcd ii?ni.crncnc
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1'10.'.
9 . William H. Jordy. Amenmm Butidinpr and n e i r ~mhireels(Garden Cily. NY: Anchor Books. 1976). p. 168
10. Land and Commu~utrAssoelates. S u r v p of S r o r t - h c d Propcmts:lmnnrtionr "/Higher Educnnon. unpublished manuscript.
1991, p . 82.
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United S t a t e s Department o f t h e I n t e r l o r
N a t l o n a l Park S e r v i c e
BIBLIOGRAPHIC SOURCES
Rro\vnell. Charles. Calder I-0th. William Rasmussen, Richard Wilson. TI](,.llrikirl,q of' Vir:qi!rici
Arc.i?irt,crure (Richmond: The Virginia Museum of Fine .Arts. 1992,
lld\vards. Lucious. Jr., Unpublished lecture on Amaza Lee Meredith delivered at the Fiftli
Arlnual Svmposiurn on .Architectural History. IJniversitv of Virginia. Nuvcmber 1.
1992.
Land and Community Associates. Slrn,c~vo!f'Srurc,-O\~~tl~d
PropcJrrira.\-:
Itr.\rir~iriorr.io f ' Iliqircr
FAric.utiorr. unpublished manuscript. I99 I .
hlcredith. Arnaza Lee, Scrapbook. Manuscript Collection of Virginia State Iln~versity.Ettrick.
Virginia.
Wc.!!i. Jrr!ln F. 2nd Robert E. Dalton. IInn~~hlished
mariuscript. Sr.@terni>cr27. I993
BOUYDARY JUSTIFICATION
The nominated boundary corresponds to the entire 1.6 parcel of land l~i~tor~c;illv
associated i v ~ t i i
Azurest South.
in
V1I:W 01:: ciiest, originally a cot. in the earlv studio. camera facing west
PHOTO b of 1 1
VIEW OF: Sliss hlereditli's (front) bedroom. carnera facing southeast
PHOTO 7 of 1 1
VIEW OF: kitchen, camera hcing north
PHOTO 8 ot 1 1
VlEW OF: k~tchen.counter tile detail, camera facing west
PHO'I'O 9 of 1 1
VlEW OF: kitchen. wall tile detail above stove, camera iacing northeast
PHOTO 10 of 1 1
VlEW OF: bathroom. camera facing northwest
PHOTO I l of I I