Do We Know Who Really Built the Parthenon in Nashville, Tennessee?

An exploration into the Old-World structures in the city of Nashville in Tennessee. Nashville is referred to as the Athens of the South supposedly for the plethora of educational facilities. The origin of this name may have a different meaning with the presence of some clear Old-World and questionable structures with even more questionable accounts from our friends who document these aspects so well!

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Lucius Aurelian

Nashville, Tennessee, is often referred to as the "Athens of the South" due to its dedication to higher education. The city earned this nickname in the 1850s and it was perpetuated in a few other ways, such as the building of the Greek-Revival-styled State Capitol and the Tennessee Centennial Exposition, including about Nashville's iconic Parthenon building.

The Parthenon in Nashville is a full-scale 'claimed' replica of the original Parthenon in Athens, Greece. It was designed by architect William Crawford Smith and built in 1897 as part of the Tennessee Centennial Exposition. [construction photos?] This event celebrated the 100th anniversary of Tennessee’s entry into the union. The Parthenon was unique in that it was the only building in the Exposition that was an exact 'replica' of its original.

THE NARRATIVE: The first version of the Parthenon replica was not built to last long after the Exposition, but it quickly gained popularity among residents and tourists alike. As a result, it was rebuilt in 1920 in order to serve as a lasting monument to classical architecture. Today, it remains the only full-scale replica of the Parthenon in the world.

In addition to drawing admiration for its architecture, today the Parthenon also functions as a thriving art museum. Visitors can enjoy the museum’s core collection of 63 different 19th and 20th century American paintings, as well as a rotating assortment of temporary exhibits. The most significant feature of the Nashville Parthenon is its exact replica of the Athena statue that once served as the centerpiece of the ancient Greek original. Like her predecessor, the Nashville Athena is 42 feet (or, to be precise, 41 feet and 10 inches) tall; this makes her the Western Hemisphere’s tallest indoor statue.

So, Nashville's homage to classical Greek architecture through the Parthenon contribute to its nickname as the "Athens of the South".

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So, Why is the Parthenon in Nashville?
https://nashvillego.com/activities/guides/why-is-the-parthenon-in-nashville