Permanent Parthenon completed in 1931. It was constructed after years of disrepair of the original 1897 plaster version built for the Centennial Exposition celebrating Tennessee’s 200th anniversary as a state. Image courtesy of Library of Congress.

University of Nashville’s main building, Lindsley Hall, in 1864 located in downtown Nashville. This building was used as a hospital and headquarter for Federal officers during the Civil War and soldiers can be seen in front and on the roof. This building was razed and the Literary Building (also called the Chapel or Stone Building) next door is today called Lindsley Hall and is part of the Metro Office Complex. Image courtesy of Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.

Ward Seminary students on their way to the Centennial Exposition in 1897. Image courtesy of Harpeth Hall Archives.

There are two historical markers in front of Jubilee Hall: one for the building and one for the group from which it takes its name. Image courtesy of MHCF.

A postcard showing an aerial view of the Tennessee State University campus between 1930 and 1945. At the time, the university was known as Tennessee A&I College. Memorial Library (now the Harold M. Love S., Student Success Center) is located near the center, directly across from the Administrative Building (now the Walter S. Davis Humanities Building.) To the right of the Administrative Building is a recreational space, now occupied by Holland Hall and Crouch Hall. Image courtesy of Nashville Public Library.

Students at Roger Williams University, 1899. Image courtesy of Library of Congress.

Original 1875 Vanderbilt Campus Plan. The Main Building is today Kirkland Hall. Image courtesy of Vanderbilt University Campus Plan.

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Permanent Parthenon completed in 1931. It was constructed after years of disrepair of the original 1897 plaster version built for the Centennial Exposition celebrating Tennessee’s 200th anniversary as a state. Image courtesy of Library of Congress.

Athens of the South Driving

1 hr 36 min 25.0 mi 8 stops

Welcome to Nashville! We’ve been called Music City, Nashvegas, and Wall Street of the South. We’re known as a Health Tech Hub, and we’re also famous for our hot chicken. In 2013, the New York Times even dubbed Nashville as the “it” city. But as the full-scale replica of the Greek Parthenon bears witness, Nashville was first and foremost the “Athens of the South.” Nashville is a southern center of higher education with over 100,000 students enrolled in more than 20 colleges and universities in the Middle Tennessee area.

This reputation began with Davidson Academy, founded in 1785 by the North Carolina legislature. Tennessee became a state in 1796, and the school settled in Lebanon—renamed Cumberland College. In 1824, Philip Lindsley was appointed as the school’s first president. Dr. Lindsley had previously served as the president of Princeton University. The school was incorporated as the University of Nashville and moved downtown to a hilltop overlooking the Cumberland River. Why is Philip Lindsley so important?

Dr. Lindsley was the first to call Nashville the “Athens of the West,” because at that time, the city was still part of the western frontier. But in the decades that followed, the moniker shifted to “Athens of the South,” which reflected westward expansion and the growth of higher education in Nashville.

Welcome to Nashville Sites! This tour will journey through time and place to visit historic college campuses and related sites—including the Parthenon in Centennial Park. You’ll learn about universities such as Vanderbilt, Tennessee State, Belmont, Fisk, Lipscomb, and Meharry Medical College. And we’ll also tell you about famous alums and important events connected to Nashville’s schools. Hi, I’m Dr. Mary Ellen Pethel. I’m a professor at Belmont University in the Interdisciplinary Studies and Global Education division, and I’m also the author of the book Athens of the New South: College Life and Making Modern Nashville.

As a reminder, this is a driving tour and you should not use your phone while driving. For each stop, you can listen from your car or get out, walk around, and enter campuses if open to the public. Directions and parking options are provided at the end of each stop. You can also take this tour virtually from your home or hotel room. We’d love for you to take pictures and tag us on social media @NashvilleSites. So crank up your car and let’s get started!

Start Walking Tour Take Virtual Tour Get Directions to Start

Tour Stops

University of Nashville, Lindsley Hall, and Litterer Laboratory

730 President Ronald Reagan Way, Nashville, TN 37210

YMCA, Ward Seminary, TSU Avon Williams Campus

1000 Church Street, Nashville, TN 37203

Fisk University and Meharry Medical College

1020 Seventeenth Avenue North, Nashville, TN 37208

Tennessee State University

3500 John A Merritt Boulevard, Nashville, TN 37209

Centennial Park and Parthenon

2500 West End Avenue, Nashville, TN 37203

Vanderbilt University Athletics (West End Ave.)

210 Twenty-Fifth Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37240

Vanderbilt, Peabody, Blair, Roger Williams (21st Ave.)

2400 Blakemore Avenue, Nashville, TN 37212

Belmont University

1900 Belmont Boulevard, Nashville, TN 37212

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