Hudson Valley Buildings Named After Slave Owners Get New Names

New names for six Hudson Valley buildings currently named after slave owners have been approved.

Last month, the SUNY New Paltz College Council voted by a 4-3 margin to approve the resolution to rename six campus buildings, named after the first European settlers in New Paltz who also owned enslaved people.

The buildings that will be renamed are currently named Bevier Hall, Crispell Hall, Deyo Hall, DuBois Hall, Hasbrouck Dining Hall and Lefevre Hall.

On Tuesday, the SUNY Board of Trustees voted unanimously on new names that reflect locations in the region.

The new names, Shawangunk Hall, Awosting Hall, Minnewaska Hall, Mohonk Hall, Ashokan Hall and Peregrine Dining Hall, were recommended by a study group of College Council members, faculty, staff, students, alumni and a Historic Huguenot Street Board member. The study group then choose the names following a campuswide survey.

The name changes are as followed:

Bevier Hall will become Minnewaska Hall
Crispell Hall will become Ashokan Hall
Deyo Hall will become Awosting Hall
Dubois Hall will become Mohonk Hall
Lefevre Hall will become Shawangunk Hall
Hasbrouck Dining Hall will become Peregrine Dining Hall
The Hasbrouck Complex, which consists of all six buildings, will become the Peregrine Complex

The new names will be effective at the start of the fall 2019 semester.