HAMPTON, Va. (WAVY) — Virginia Peninsula Community College is renaming two of its halls to honor the Native American tribe that used to hold the land where the school is now located.
Griffin and Wythe halls, which are connected and functionally serve as one building, will be renamed to Kecoughtan Hall.
The name change will go into effect during the Spring 2024 semester.
VPCC’s board thought the Kecoughtan name would be more inclusive and acknowledge the area’s past, as Hampton used to be called Kecoughtan. Both Griffin and Wythe were contemporaries of the college’s former namesake, Thomas Nelson.
The board also recommended a plaque or display inside the renamed building to provide historical background, as they gradually change over signage and other references to Griffin/Wythe.
This comes just over a year after the community college changed its name from Thomas Nelson Community College. Nelson was the fourth governor of Virginia, a Revolutionary War hero, signer of the Declaration of Independence and a slave owner.
VPCC says the name change of Wythe and Griffin halls was suggested at that time. Going forward they’re recommending not naming buildings after individuals, and instead using names that tie in to the region’s geography and history.
VPCC says three other halls named after Nelson’s contemporaries, Moore, Diggs and Harrison halls, are scheduled to be replaced by a new building in the coming years, so VPCC says there was no point in change those names.
Future potential building names at VPCC could be named in honor of other regional tribes: the Powhatan, Paspahegh and the Chickahominy.
