CHURCH HILL, Tenn. (WJHL) The Church Hill Board of Mayor and Aldermen voted unanimously to make a recommendation on a new name for an island in the Holston River.

According to Church Hill City Recorder Joshua Russell, the board met Tuesday and addressed the scheduled business of renaming Negro Island.

Russell told News Channel 11 the city had been contacted in 2019 by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names, requesting a recommendation for a new name for the island due to its offensive name.

Russell said USBGN provided two possible names to the board for consideration: Silver Lake Island and Solitude Island.

At the meeting, Russell said Alderman Michael Bell made the motion to recommend Silver Lake Island, which is in reference to a nearby community along the Holston River.

Solitude Island, while not chosen as the citys recommendation, is a reference to Solitude Bend south of the island.

Russell told News Channel 11 that the island is privately owned, meaning the property owners reserve the right to keep the name on the deed or change it to whatever they like.

However, the USBGNs change to the islands name will be the name that appears on U.S Geographic maps, according to Russell.

The vote to recommend the name Silver Lake Island to USBGN did not require a resolution or ordinance.

Some of the other groups approached for name recommendations were Hawkins County, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the State of Tennessee.

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Church Hill city officials vote to change racially insensitive name of island in Holston River - WJHL-TV News Channel 11