PETERSBURG, Va. (WRIC) -- A building in Petersburg has been designated as a new National Historic Landmark (NHL) for its architecture and representation of the African American and LGBTQ+ experience in American history. On Monday, Dec. 16, the Secretary of the Interior announced the designation of 19 new National Historic Landmarks, one of which is Azurest South located in Petersburg. According to the National Park Service, Azurest South is an International Style house designed by Amaza Lee Meredith, a queer Black artist and self-taught architect. Meredith reportedly lived at Azurest South with her partner, Edna Mead Colson, with the building's design reflecting their multifaceted identities as queer Black women and providing a safe place for the couple in the Jim Crow South. Azurest South located in Petersburg, Virginia. (Photo courtesy: National Park Service) According to the National Park Service, the 1.62 acres of property is owned by the Virginia State University Alumni Association. The building's exterior reportedly still reflects Meredith's original design and has retained important elements such as its original glass block and casement windows, roof-top terrace railing and dramatic white stucco with turquoise trim. The National Park Service said the interior also retains its original plan including the Art Moderne mantel and Art Deco lights. Additionally, the bathroom, which was reportedly an important space for Meredith to experiment with colors and reflective finishes, appears nearly as it did when constructed. However, the National Park Service reported that the original studio's integrity has diminished and an accessible bathroom was installed in the studio which partially obstructed an original metal inset bas relief, which is believed to be reversible. The kitchen has also reportedly lost all historic integrity due to a recent remodeling. Azurest South is part of 19 other brand-new National Historic Landmarks, many of which contribute underrepresented histories to the NHL Program intending to tell all Americans' stories, according to the National Park Service.