No more 'plantation': community changes its name

A local senior living community formerly known as Plantation Village has changed its name to Porters Neck Village. (Photo courtesy of Porters Neck Village)

After 35 years, a local senior living community has changed its name. 
 
The community, “which has been known as Plantation Village since its inception in 1988, announced today it is changing its name to Porters Neck Village, effective immediately,” officials stated in a news release this week.
 
Porters Neck Village’s board of directors has mulled the idea of jettisoning the word “plantation” from the community’s name for several years.  
 
“The decision to proceed with a change to Porters Neck Village follows a lengthy process by which other naming options were researched, developed and discussed with help from outside consultants,” the release continued. “Current residents and associates were also aware of the process and, in some cases, were asked to provide feedback via surveys and focus groups. As a result of this extensive review process, the board agreed to adopt Porters Neck Village as the community’s new name.“
 
The change is happening for a variety of reasons, board president Barb Biehner said in the release.
 
“The timing of this change is good for our community, as our board and leadership team have long felt the word ‘plantation’ was not reflective of the environment, message or brand experience we want to offer to residents and their families, or our own associates,” she said.
 
Jolynn Whitten, the community’s executive director, said the new name is a better way to connect to the Porters Neck community where it’s located.
 
“From a societal and community standpoint, it was time for change,” Whitten said. “Porters Neck Village is a wayfinding term that better reflects who we are, honors our past and gives us an opportunity to continue to grow in an inclusive way well into the future.”
 
Stephen Fortlouis, who will move with his wife into a new unit in Porters Neck Village this summer, was happy to hear about the change. He, too, believes the word “plantation” has negative connotations for some current and potential residents as well as for some staff members. He likes the new moniker.

“The name continues the tradition of what the village was, and it’s a welcoming-sounding place,” he said Friday. “It also gives a sense of place: a ‘neck’ is by the water; by the coast.”
 
Porters Neck Village has retained the floral logo image and tagline “Keep on loving life” associated with the former name.
 
The timing of this decision is “perfect” because the community is nearing completion of its $57 million renovation and addition project, which began in December 2021 and is the largest construction project in the history of the campus, Biehner said in the release.
 
Existing community management and leadership will not change, nor should residents or employees experience anything but positives as the newly renamed community grows, she added.  
 
“Thanks to the expansion project, our new buildings will provide more services, amenities and residential options, so we look forward to also including updated signage that reflects this new chapter in the life of our community.”
 
Porters Neck Village is a non-profit Life Plan Community at 1200 Porters Neck Road. It is home to 300 residents who live independently in apartments and semi-detached units and have priority access to the health care services of the nearby Davis community, which includes assisted living, memory care and skilled nursing.
 
It was created in 1988 on 58 acres donated by Champion “Champ” McDowell Davis, a retired railroad executive with a vision to create a community for older adults with a continuum of care available.