Mountain Empire Community College

Mountain Empire Community College is located on 95 wooded acres. Holton Hall was the first building on MECC's campus, named after Big Stone Gap native and former Virginia governor, Linwood Holton. Godwin Hall was built next and named for the founding governor of the Virginia Community College System, Mills Godwin.

The two people most responsible in state government for the construction of MECC's industrial technology building were Delegate Orby Cantrell and Governor John Dalton. Dalton-Cantrell Hall was completed in the fall of 1984. Robb Hall, named for former Virginia governor and U.S. Senator, Charles Robb, was dedicated in April of 1989. It houses the Wampler Library, named in memory of Mabel C. and John Barbour Wampler, who were business and civic leaders in Wise County.

The new 50,000 square-foot Phillips-Taylor Hall, completed in 20001, was named for East Stone Gap sisters and benefactors Nelle Taylor Phillips and French Taylor, is distinguished by the Goodloe Center, in honor of Big Stone Gap pioneers John Mills, Edward Everett and William Trevenor Goodloe, and the Slemp Commons, named for the C. Bascom Slemp Foundation.