The Historic Athenaeum

Columbia, TN — Arts, Culture & Entertainment. ﻿ The home that was to become the Athenaeum was completed in 1837... By the fall 1852 Rev. Smith had built and opened his own school, the Athenaeum. Athena was the goddess of knowledge, so Athenaeum roughly means the 'Seat of Knowledge'... The Athenaeum was one of, if not the, first private school for girls not to be affiliated with a religion. Girls that attended the school learned everything...