On a hill overlooking Athens, Greece, sits the Parthenon, a temple devoted to the Greek goddess of Wisdom, Athena. In a park near skyscrapers in Nashville, Tenn., sits a full-scale replica of the original.
For close to 20 years, when the last major cleaning and restoration efforts occured, the Parthenon has appeared as we see it today. It’s the focal point of Centennial Park, over 100 acres that includes a one-mile walking path, exercise trail, a lake, a sunken garden, a dog park, an arts activity center and more.
An art museum is housed inside. Featured are the donations of James M. Cowan, paintings by 19th and 20th century Americans, as well as work displayed for temporary exhibits.
Upstairs is a 42-foot, detail-rich replica of the statue of Athena, added in 1990. Plaster replicas of the Parthenon Marbles created from direct casts of the originals are also on display.
Built in 1897, the Parthenon in Nashville was constructed to be the main attraction of a six-month exposition in celebration of Tennessee’s centennial as a state. In identifying with Athens as a cultural and educational influence, the idea to recreate the Parthenon was selected. Around it, other buildings were also constructed to highlight the celebration.
Once the festivities concluded, the other buildings were dismantled, but the Parthenon remained, as did Lake Watauga, a man-made lake. By 1915, plans to reconstruct the structure were undertaken, as the original was beginning to deteriorate.
By 1921, the work began on the exterior. While workers removed the plaster and wooden elements, they left some of the foundation and original structural elements and used concrete for the new walls and columns.
Two years later, damage caused by a tornado set the project back another several years. But ultimately, progress resumed and upkeep has continued throughout the years.
Admission is $6 for adults, $4 for seniors 62 and older, $4 for children and free for children 4 and younger. Hours are 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Tuesdays through Saturdays, 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. on Sundays and closed on Mondays. For more information, call 615-862-8431.
(Note: Marjorie Appelman is an English, communications and journalism teacher at Mason County High School and co-founder of the travel blog, Tales from the Trip, which is also on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. She can be reached at [email protected].)
