Nashville, Tennessee - The Athens of the South

Called "The Athens of the South", Nashville boastsgovernment. On the self-guided tour you can
many colleges and universities, including Vanderbiltactually see the governor working in his office.
University and Fisk University. Athens, Greece hasThe Capital building became a heated place during
a Parthenon on the acropolis. The Athens of thethe Civil War. Shots from pistols rang out during
South has its Parthenon in Centennial Park, thesome of the arguments. William Strickland, the
site of the 1897 Exposition. This Parthenon is anarchitect, asked to be buried behind the
exact replica of the one in Greece. It maintains allcornerstone of the building. If the visitor feels
of the friezes encircling the building. The architectlucky, William might make his presence known, as
used drawings from the British Museum tohe has often done.
produce the desired effect. The building, built fromA short distance East of town sits The
plaster, was so impressive that the citizensHermitage, the home of President Andrew
wanted to keep it after the fair closed. NatureJackson. A very controversial man himself, the
had taken its toll on the plaster and a permanentbuilding reflects the stature of Old Hickory: large
building of concrete was finished in 1931,doorways and high stairwells. He received his
refurbished, and reopened in 2003.fame by winning the Battle of New Orleans after
Approaching the Parthenon from the East, thethe War of 1812 was over. He also defied the
sheer symmetry of the building impresses theSupreme Court and started the relocation of the
visitor; not a single straight line, however, in theNative Americans (he was tired of tying to kill
entire structure. The pediment above thethem all and so put them out of the way-The
seventy-one two ton doors depicts the birth ofTrail of Tears). He also dumped his first wife and
Athena. Over the West doors the pedimentmarried Rachel who was devoted to him. To
depicts the contest between Athena and Poseidonmany Andrew Jackson is a great man. I rank him
for the control of Attica. Under the eaves aroundwith George Armstrong Custer. Not a compliment.
the building, a series of friezes depict the godsThe visitor will also find on the grounds the home
and heroes. Inside the naos, the primary chamber,of Uncle Albert Jackson, former slave and
a statue of Pallas Athena, the patroness ofcaretaker of the estate into the 20th century.
Athens, dominates. Rising forty-two feet her goldArcheological digs in the slave quarters about one
leafed covered robes radiate her beauty and thehalf mile into the fields reveal life of the slave
wealth of Greece. Along the walls, rest replicas ofcommunity in Antebellum Tennessee.
fragments from the pediments "rescued" by LordA trip to Music City would not be complete with
Elgin in 1804, after the Turks exploded the originalgiving homage to The Grand Ole Opry, in
Parthenon. Finally, in the treasury behind the naosOpryland. A visitor will notice all of the tour buses
scaled down versions of the exterior pedimentsgoing to and from Nashville. They do not see the
depict descriptions of the various gods andCapital Building, the Parthenon, and The Hermitage;
goddesses.only The Grand Ole Opry. When we were there
A short five-minute drive takes the visitorwe saw over fifty buses parked in the lot with
downtown to the State Capital Building. Freemany more filled with white haired men and
parking exists a few blocks away at the farmerswomen arriving. The Grand Ole Opry holds
market. Over two hundred steps ascend the hillperformances every Friday and Saturday evening.
to the building. Statues of Andrew Jackson andEverything is within walking distance from the
Sergeant Alvin York dominate the grounds, wherehotel: theaters, Opry Mills (a shopping center), etc.
President James Polk and his wife Sarah areWhen you plan your trip to The Athens of the
interred. The capital building, completed in 1849,South, do not forget that the city has much
houses the legislative and executive branches ofmore than Country Music.