Rocky Mount Names Road for Rev. McKinley Hamilton
The Town Council unanimously named a road beside First Baptist Church after the late pastor and civil rights leader.
Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in African-American
The Rocky Mount Town Council voted unanimously Monday to name an unnamed road adjacent to First Baptist Church Hamilton Way in honor of the Rev. McKinley Hamilton. Signs are being prepared for an unveiling planned for next month.
Why it matters
The naming honors a pastor and civil rights leader whom the Virginia General Assembly recognized shortly after his 2011 death. The church's congregation requested the street be named for him as its downtown building is renovated into the McKinley J. Hamilton Center for Community Enrichment.
The Town Council voted unanimously to name the road Hamilton Way, which runs beside First Baptist Church downtown. The congregation moved to a new location in 1965 but kept ownership of the historic downtown building.
The players
McKinley Hamilton
The Rev. McKinley Hamilton was a pastor of First Baptist Church and a civil rights leader in Rocky Mount whose legacy the street naming honors.
Rocky Mount Town Council
The Rocky Mount Town Council is the elected governing body of the town that approved the street naming.
Bill Stanley
Bill Stanley is a Virginia state senator who town staff will meet with regarding funding for the Diamond Avenue community.
The details
The road adjacent to First Baptist Church was named at the council's Monday meeting at the congregation's request. Hamilton served as the church's pastor and as a civil rights leader before his death in 2011.
Timeline
2011: Hamilton died, and the Virginia General Assembly honored him shortly after.
1965: The First Baptist Church congregation moved to a new location.
Monday, November 9, 2026: The Town Council unanimously voted to name the road Hamilton Way.
Later this week: Town staff will meet with Sen. Bill Stanley about Diamond Avenue.
December 2026: An unveiling of the Hamilton Way street signs is planned.
Legacy in Place
The street naming follows the Virginia General Assembly's 2011 recognition of Hamilton, extending his civil rights legacy from state honor into a permanent local tribute. It places his name on a downtown road beside the church he led.
Residents and visitors to downtown Rocky Mount will see the new Hamilton Way street signs once they are installed. The naming adds a permanent public marker of local civil rights history along a street near the historic church.
The takeaway
Public street names can preserve the memory of local leaders whose civil rights work shaped their communities. Readers interested in such tributes can look for similar naming efforts in their own towns.
What happens next
Signs for Hamilton Way are being prepared for an unveiling planned for December 2026, possibly before the Come Home to a Franklin County Christmas celebration. Town staff will also meet with Sen. Bill Stanley later this week about the Diamond Avenue access issue.
Further reading
For more on local Black history and civil rights legacies, explore the African-American section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Franklin News Post.
