Virginia State University Awarded $150,000 Grant To Preserve Time-Honored Alumni House

The funding will help maintain and preserve Azurest South, one of the University's most historic landmarks.

Virginia State University has been awarded a $150,000 grant to support the conservation of Azurest South, also known as the Alumni House. The grant was awarded through the National Trust for Historic Preservation's African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund, a competitive program that provides funding to preserve and protect African American historic sites and cultural landmarks.

This grant will be used to maintain one of the University’s most historic landmarks. Built in 1939 by alumna Amaza Lee Meredith, Azurest South was considered one of the most advanced residential designs of its time. Meredith, one of the first documented female African American architects, also established VSU's Fine Arts Department and lived in the home she designed until her passing in 1984.

Before her passing, Meredith aspired to design and build an Alumni House on campus. She provided several blueprints for the proposed Alumni House, but all plans for the project fell through in the early 1960s. Finally, in 1986, the VSU Alumni Association made Azurest South the official Alumni House, making Meredith's dream a reality.

Today, the building remains one of Virginia's few examples of International Style architecture. Additionally, the Virginia Department of Historic Resources successfully listed Azurest South on the National Register of Historic Places in 1993.

"We are extremely grateful to receive this grant from the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund to preserve our beloved Alumni House," said Laurie Carpenter, National President of the Virginia State University Alumni Association. "It is a significant building representing the hard work and dedication of Ms. Meredith, who laid the groundwork for African Americans in architecture. Her home is a priceless possession within the VSU community, and this ensures it will stand for many years to come."

The National Trust for Historic Preservation's African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund has raised more than $91 million and supported 242 preservation projects nationally since 2018. VSU was one of only eight applicants selected from a pool of numerous qualified candidates to receive funding in the 2024 cohort.