L.V. Hull home added to National Register of Historic Places

The L.V. Hull Home & Studio of Kosciusko, MS, has been added to the National Register of Historic Places.

It is the first home-studio of an African American woman visual artist to be listed at the level of National Significance and the first home of an African American art environment creator (male or female) to be listed on the National Register.

The recent designation coincides with the 50th anniversary of Hull’s purchase of the home on August 12, 1974.

“The listing of L.V. Hull’s home on the National Register is the most recent and exciting step on the path to preserve the remarkable self-made art environment that she created,” says Christina Morris, Senior Director of the Where Women Made History initiative of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. “Women, and particularly women of color, are woefully underrepresented across all forms of designation that are intended to recognize places of historic and cultural importance. Designating the L.V. Hull Home & Studio on the National Register of Historic Places as nationally significant makes it one of very few sites in the country to receive this level of distinction, and in doing so, helps fully honor the life, work, autonomy, and influence of a Black woman artist. This listing of Hull’s home signals a critical change in the way we understand the achievements of women artists and Black women at the local, state, and national levels.”

Many artists’ homes and collections in the South have been lost forever, but Dr. Stuart Rockoff, Chair of the National Register Review Board for the State of Mississippi noted that, “This listing is a significant recognition of both L.V. Hull’s legacy and Mississippi’s rich artistic history. Being added to the National Register of Historic Places will add momentum for the restoration and interpretation of the L.V. Hull Home & Studio for folk art lovers from across the world.”

Yaphet Smith, a personal friend of Hull and the creator of a forthcoming one-hour documentary about her called “Love Is a Sensation,” purchased the home in 2021 to save it from further decay.

His organization, the Keysmith Foundation, is working with Belinda Stewart Architects to preserve the home. An estimated $400,000 is needed for stabilization, systems upgrades, restoration, and program development. Fundraising is ongoing.

The Keysmith Foundation is also collaborating with the Arts Foundation of Kosciusko and the Estate of L.V. Hull to plan the L.V. Hull Legacy Center which will include Hull’s home and four repurposed structures on a corner lot at the end of her street. This creative campus will display a large collection of Hull’s artwork, host a creative residency and rotating exhibitions, offer free community programming, and more. In addition, an exhibition of Hull’s work at the Mississippi Museum of Art is planned for 2025.

“Home ownership ignited L.V.’s artistic journey, and she would be tickled to know that her beloved home has received this unprecedented recognition. We hope this milestone sparks preservation efforts and national recognition for other impactful yet overlooked artists,” noted Smith. “We are especially grateful to Laura Blokker of Southeast Preservation who prepared the nomination and independent curator Annalise Flynn who provided essential scholarly input.”

In addition to Hull’s friends, family, and neighbors, the effort to preserve Hull’s legacy has been supported by a coalition of partner organizations, including: the Kohler Foundation, the City of Kosciusko, Ruth Foundation for the Arts, Mississippi Heritage Trust, Mississippi Arts Commission, Mississippi Department of Archives & History, Mississippi Humanities Council,
Center for the Study of Southern Culture, Artist-Built Environment Network, SPACES Archives, the Historic Artists’ Homes and Studios Program, the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund, Lower Mississippi Delta Initiative, and more.

ABOUT L.V. HULL
Self-proclaimed as “ The Unusual Artist,” Hull (1942–2008) merged artmaking and the Southern art of “visiting” to transform her home into an art environment that attracted pilgrims from around the world. After purchasing the home in 1974 with wages from domestic work, she immediately adopted it as both her studio and her primary canvas, curating her space inside and out with a collection of found, purchased, and gifted objects. Her creativity extended to household fixtures, domestic items, and clothing painted with her signature dots. As one guest described, “It’s hard to tell where the art stops and L.V. begins.” After making art and welcoming visitors to the home for more than 30 years, Hull passed away in 2008. Her home has been vacant since that time.