A Giant Replica of Greek Goddess Athena Lives in Nashville
An Ancient Parthenon in an Urban Site –Nashville Parthenon and Centennial Park
The sounds of country music fill the streets of this city, but it is also home to ancient Greek history, divine treasures, and a beloved goddess.
The Parthenon in Centennial Park, in Nashville, Tennessee, is a full-scale replica of the original Parthenon in Athens. It was designed by architect William Crawford Smith and built-in 1897 as part of the Tennessee Centennial Exposition. The re-creation of the 42-foot statue Athena is the focus of the Parthenon just as it was in ancient Greece. It was designed by Alan Le Quire in 1990. The building and the Athena statue are both full-scale replicas of the Athenian originals. She is resplendent in gold, with the goddess of victory, Nike in her hand. She is said to be the tallest indoor statue in the U.S.
The Parthenon is the centerpiece of Centennial Park, which is touted to be Nashville’s premier urban park. It also boasts the distinction of being the world’s only full-scale replica of the ancient Greek temple in Athens, yet instead of sitting high atop a city in Greece it is within a sprawling urban site. It is a mix of ancient and modern life in one place. The edifice was originally constructed as part of the Tennessee Centennial and Exposition that was held in 1897 and it has gone through several transformations since.
The Parthenon was listed in 1972 on the National Register of Historic Places. It joins multiple Nashville landmarks that are listed individually or as part of National Register Historic Districts, ranging from The Grand Ole Opry to the Belle Meade Links Triangle.
While Nashville is known as the home of country music it also is a keeper of the ancient history and mythology of Greece. In fact, one of the stated missions of the Parthenon is to “Educate the public concerning the Parthenon and the civilizations which built it, both in Athens in the 5th century BCE and in Nashville, Tennessee, from 1897 to the present.” [1]
The website says the plaster replicas of the Parthenon Marbles found in the Naos (an ancient temple or shrine) are direct casts of the original sculptures, which adorned the pediments of the Athenian Parthenon dating back to 438 B.C. They were replicated using the fragments of the original Parthenon located at the British Museum in London (side note: embroiled in controversy because Greece wants their marbles back, but this is not an issue in Nashville!)
The Parthenon also serves as Nashville’s art museum. The permanent collection, donated by James M. Cowan, is a group of 63 paintings by 19th and 20th-century American artists. They also have other galleries, shows, and exhibits.
Centennial Park, the urban surrounding, is active and filled with other attractions in addition to the iconic Parthenon. The official website says that the 132 acres feature, “a one-mile walking trail, Lake Watauga, the Centennial Art Center, historical monuments, an arts activity center, a beautiful sunken garden, a band shell, an events shelter, sand volleyball courts, dog park, and an exercise trail.” [2] Thousands of people visit each year. “The urban open space also has displays of a historic aircraft and locomotive along with several monuments and memorials, including artwork celebrating women’s suffrage and the city’s founder James Robertson,” according to the Nashville Tours website. [3]
There is also a great lawn in front of the Parthenon which is a treasured part of this place. In 2020, this “iconic public space” reopened. Fences were removed, new pathways were created, and promenades were improved with 11 million in funding. [4]
How Did Athens End Up in Nashville?
How did this replica from ancient Greece end up in the home of country music, Nashville?
The replica of the famous Parthenon in Athens, Greece, was originally built for Tennessee’s 1897 Centennial Exposition. It was considered the pinnacle of classical architecture. It came about when Nashville had the opportunity to vie — with several other cities — for the right to host a World’s Fair in the 1890s. The competition was steep so Nashville wanted to stand out. They were already known as the “Athens of the South” (because of their focus on higher education) so the idea to recreate the ancient Parthenon was born. It was meant to be an expression of civic pride and patriotism, and a place to host a large art collection. [5]
Evolution of the Famous Replica
Nashville Tours says the first building erected for the exposition was originally constructed from plaster, wood, and brick. “The planners never intended that the building remain a permanent structure after the exposition ended. However, the cost of demolition and the popularity of the building saved it from being knocked down. Because the original structure experienced deterioration from the elements, it was (later) replaced by the current concrete edifice.”
A new building went up. Construction of the landmark building that stands today seems to have lasted from 1920 until 1925, with the interior completed around 1931. “The edifice features 7-ton bronze entrance doors. Situated on the east and west ends of the building, the entryways are the largest doors of their kind in the world.”
Today, in the urban setting, the Parthenon has been the backdrop for citywide and community celebrating, special events, and theatrical productions.
Construction of Athena Statue
Nashville Sightseeing Tours takes groups there all the time. They describe it this way:
“The east room on the second floor of the museum is the setting for the statue of Athena, the tallest indoor statue in the country. Tipping the scales at approximately 12 tons, the figure was re-created based on careful scholarly work as to the appearance of the long-lost original statue by Phidias that adorned the ancient temple. It took eight years to complete the statue. The gold leaf was added in 2002 and this colorfully adorned figure carries a shield in her left hand and a life-sized statue of Nike in her right palm. A 20-foot-tall serpent appears between the body of Athena and her shield. The centerpiece statue is surrounded by smaller sculptures.”
The original Athena statue was completed by Phidias in 456 BCE. The Anthena of Nashville arrived on the scene much later! She stood as an unpainted white statue from 1990 to 2022. Her transformation came about when a team of experts and volunteers added over eight pounds of gold leaf plus colorful paint details to Athena.[6]
It should be noted that the home of the Parthenon replica, Centennial Park, was listed on the The National Register of Historic Places in 2008 as its own historical urban area. And it lists the Parthenon as top one of 38 places that at part of their inventory.
-Laurie Sue Brockway, posted on Mar 23, 2023
SOURCES
[1] “Mission & History,” The Parthenon, accessed March 23, 2023.
[2] “Centennial Park,” Nashville.gov, accessed March 23, 2023 .
[3] “Parthenon Nashville History and Information Guide,” Old Town Trolley Tours, accessed March 23, 2023.
[4] Mary Hance, “Centennial Park’s Improved Great Lawn Reopens,” The Tennessean, accessed March 23, 2023.
[5] America’s Best History, “Nashville Tennessee Centennial and International Exposition 1897,” americasbesthistory.com, accessed March 23, 2023.
[6] “Virtual Symposium: 20 Years of Gold on Athena,” The Parthenon, accessed March 23, 2023.
Isaac Kaplan, “Why Is There a Full-Scale Replica of the Parthenon in Nashville, Tennessee?,” Artsy, July 26, 2017.
