MATTHEWS, N.C. — A senior living retirement community in Matthews, North Carolina, has been renamed in order to remove the word "plantation" from its previous title.
Now called Matthews Glen, the community was formerly named Plantation Estates and is located southeast of Charlotte.
Matthews Glen was selected by the community residents and staff members, according to Acts Retirement-Life Communities, which manages the property.
“We have long recognized the controversy that surrounds the word “plantation” and are sensitive to how it is commonly understood,” Matthews Glen executive director Steve Messer said. “The decision to rename the community is representative of the values we have always stood for and our larger commitment to be recognized as an open, inclusive and diverse community.”
Matthews Glen houses more than 700 residents and has been open since 1988.
“Our new name doesn’t change who we are but reaffirms and embraces who we’ve always been — a welcoming and inclusive community enjoyed by a diverse array of individuals,” Messer said. “The same pioneering spirit that led our community to become the premier retirement destination in the greater Matthews area for more than three decades continues to inspire our ambitions as we look toward the future and begin a new era in the evolution of our vibrant community.”
