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Virginia Landmarks Register Spotlight: Architects in Residence

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In the 20th century the rise of Modernism in architecture signaled another notable trend: architects designing their own homes as a means of stylistic expression and experimentation. The writer highlights four examples in Virginia.

By Austin Walker | DHR National Register Program Manager

On December 16, 2024, the U.S. Secretary of the Interior announced the designation of 19 new National Historic Landmarks (NHL), including three historic properties in Virginia.

Among them is Azurest South, originally designed in 1938 by Amaza Lee Meredith – one of the country’s first Black female architects – to serve as a residence and studio for herself and her life partner, Edna Meade Colson. Located on the campus of Virginia State University in Ettrick, Chesterfield County, Azurest South is an unusual example of early Modernist architecture in the American South that combines the vocabularies of Streamline Moderne, Art Deco, and the International Style. The compact, clean-lined design of the dwelling includes vividly colored and patterned floors, walls, and ceilings as well as an Art Moderne living room mantel, all executed by Meredith.

Azurest South
Azurest South as it appears today on the campus of Virginia State University. (Photo credit: Calder Loth/DH.R, 2021)

Azurest South front
The “front” entrance of Azurest South faces away from the street, recessed behind the second bedroom. This view, looking west, highlights the dwelling’s distinctive rounded corners, glass block windows, and rooftop terrace. (Photo credit: DHR, 2011)

Originally listed in 1993 for its architectural distinction, Azurest South is now formally recognized for its national significance as a subversive and innovative work of Modern architecture that exemplifies the struggle for safety and self-determination by Black Americans, women, and sexual minorities.

A singular landmark in terms of its significant associations, Azurest South fits within a broader architectural trend to emerge during the 20th century, particularly with the rise of the Modern Movement: architects designing homes for themselves as a means of stylistic expression and experimentation. While Virginians can point to Monticello or Poplar Forest as early archetypes, the idea of the personal residence as a document of architectural principles has become a fixture of contemporary architecture over the last century, from Walter Gropius, Philip Johnson, and Charles and Ray Eames to Robert Venturi and Frank Gehry. This holds true in Virginia, where examples of state registered landmarks illustrate a variety of approaches to developing and realizing a personal architectural language.

Azurest South interior fireplace
An interior view of the living room at Azurest South showing the Art Moderne fireplace mantel. (Photo credit: Calder Loth/DHR, 1993)

Historic interior photos of the kitchen at Azurest South

azurest south kitchen
Historic interior photos of the kitchen at Azurest South showing Meredith’s decorative tilework. (Photo credit: Calder Loth/DHR, 1993)

Located four miles northwest of the University of Virginia in Albemarle County, Shack Mountain (VLR, NRHP 1976; NHL 1992) stands as the most distinctive architectural work of Sidney Fiske Kimball, a leading figure among the first generation of American architectural historians. Highly regarded for his foundational scholarly examination of Thomas Jefferson’s architectural work and his tenure as director of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Kimball later founded the University of Virginia School of Architecture and played a pioneering role in the restoration of historic landmarks such as Colonial Williamsburg, Monticello, Stratford Hall, and Gunston Hall.

Built as the architect’s retirement retreat in 1935-36, Shack Mountain’s elongated octagonal plan and pedimented Tuscan portico reflect Kimball’s mastery of the Jeffersonian Classicism seen in precedents such as Farmington while championing the continued viability of regional architectural traditions.

Shack Mountain
Shack Mountain presents an amalgam of features that Kimball admired in Jefferson’s work, from its octagonal form and pedimented Tuscan portico to its triple-hung sash windows, dark green shutters, and Chinese Chippendale railings. (Photo credit: Calder Loth/DHR, 2006)

Shack Mountain
Kimball took special pains with the siting of Shack Mountain, locating the house at the end of a long, narrow ridge and orienting it toward panoramic views of wooded mountains to the west and open countryside to the north. The approach to the dwelling follows the ridge to the south. (Photo credit: Calder Loth/DHR, 1984)

Balancing traditions of the past with mid-century Modernist aesthetics, the Charles M. Goodman House (VLR, NRHP 2013) in suburban Alexandria juxtaposes an 1870s farmhouse with an International Style addition characterized by an open floor plan, natural textures and materials, and a blending of interior and exterior space through extensive use of glass. After purchasing the property in 1946, Goodman – a prominent Washington, D.C.-area architect – renovated the original Victorian dwelling while adding a modern one-story kitchen and a “glass pavilion” housing the living room, foyer, and entrance.

The kitchen and living room addition serves as a striking contrast to the original farmhouse, with its wood paneled ceiling, flagstone floors, cantilevered concrete fireplace, and expansive floor-to-ceiling glazing creating a living space that is both ethereal and deeply connected to the surrounding landscape. The Modernist materials and principles employed at Goodman’s own residence are clearly evident in his work at Hollin Hills, as well as in the prefabricated house plans he would go on to develop for the National Home Corporation.

Goodman House
The 1950s section of the Goodman House exhibits the clean lines, expansive glass windows, and Mondrian-like structural grid seen in much of Goodman’s residential work. (Photo credit: Catherine Kahl Miliaras, 2012)

Goodman House
Goodman’s renovation of the original 1870s farmhouse included reworking the windows and installing T 1-11 prefabricated plywood siding, an early use of the material that would become a mainstay of Goodman’s residential designs. The historic farmhouse interior was left largely intact. (Photo credit: Catherine Kahl Miliaras, 2012)

Goodman House interior
An interior view showing the living room of Goodman’s “glass pavilion,” including the cantilevered concrete fireplace and stone chimney. (Photo credit: Catherine Kahl Miliaras, 2012)

Continuing in a Modernist vein, the Currie House (VLR, NRHP 1994) in the Montgomery County town of Blacksburg was designed in 1960 by Leonard J. Currie, head of the School of Architecture at Virginia Polytechnic Institute (commonly known as Virginia Tech). Currie was both a student and former colleague of preeminent Modernist architects Walter Gropius and Marcel Breuer, and his family residence stands as a highly proficient and personal expression of 1960s Modernism, reflecting the enduring influence of the International Style that emerged in previous decades.

Carefully crafted from wood, glass, and brick, the dwelling exhibits the clean lines, warm materials, and sensitive siting characteristic of Frank Lloyd Wright’s work. Notably, the dwelling is designed to take advantage of natural cross-ventilation and passive solar energy while maximizing views of the surrounding mountains. The house also features a radiant heating system designed by the architect that circulates hot water from the ground floor to the ceiling without any visible elements on the interior. Completed in 1961, the Currie House was recognized by the American Institute of Architects in 1962 and received the Virginia AIA’s “Test of Time” Award in 1982.

There are no doubt other significant architects’ homes across Virginia awaiting fresh scholarly examination, with more likely to be recognized as the 50-year threshold for historic age enters the mid-1970s.

Currie House
A recent exterior view of the Leonard J. Currie House highlighting its dramatic pagoda-like roof and thoughtful integration into its sloping site. (Photo credit: Elizabeth Lipford/DHR, 2022)

Currie House
A historic photo of the Currie House highlighting several notable details along the lower level. These include the cantilevered granite steps embedded in its poured concrete retaining wall and one of four ornamental poured concrete basins used to collect rainwater from the roof. (Photo credit: David Edwards/DHR, 1994)

Currie House interior
An interior view of the Currie House showing its open floor plan, warm materials, and expansive views of the surrounding landscape. (Photo credit: W. Peter Trower/DHR, 2011)

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