Athens, AL

Home of Alabama Governor George S. Houston (1874-1878) circa 1830

Athens is a city in Limestone County, Alabama, United States. As of the 2000 census, the population of the city is 18,967. According to the 2007 U.S. Census estimates, the city had a population of 22,936. The city is the county seat of Limestone County, and is included in the Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area.

Old Masonic Hall, Monroe &  East Hobbs Streets, Athens, Limestone County, AL

History

Athens is one of the oldest incorporated cities in the State of Alabama, having been incorporated one year prior to the state's admittance to the Union in 1819. Limestone County was also created by an act of the Alabama Territorial Legislature in 1818.

Front View
Rear View Vining-Wood-Vasser House, 301 East Washington Street, Athens, Limestone County, AL

The Athens area was the home of William Wyatt Bibb, the first Governor of Alabama, and of its second Governor, his brother Thomas Bibb, who succeeded him in office when he died in a fall from his horse.

Founders Hall, Athens State University. (WPA photo 1930s).

In 1822, local residents purchased 5 acres (20,000 m2) of land and built a building to house the Athens Female Academy. The school became affiliated with the Methodist church in 1842, and was eventually renamed Athens Female College. After becoming coeducational in 1932, the school changed its name again to Athens College. After being taken over by the State of Alabama in 1974, the college was converted to a “reverse junior college,” offering the last two years of instruction for graduates of area community colleges. It is today known as Athens State University.

Front View
Side View Father Robert Donnell House, 601 South Clinton Street, Athens, Limestone County, AL

Many homes in the central part of modern Athens date to the antebellum period, and are part of historic preservation districts.

Jack Rowe House, Brown's Ferry Road vicinity, Athens vicinity, Limestone County, AL

In May 1862, during the Civil War, Athens was seized by Union forces under the command of Col. John Basil Turchin, a Russian émigré. The resulting pillage and plunder came to be known as the Rape of Athens. Homes were looted and burned, and Union horses were stabled in local churches. The occupation was eased after Turchin’s superiors intervened.

Governor George S. Houston

Athens was the home of Governor George Houston, Alabama’s first post-Reconstruction Democratic governor from 1874 through 1878. Houston was noted for reducing the debts incurred to benefit private railroad speculators and others by his Reconstruction Republican predecessors. During Reconstruction, Athens was the home of the Trinity School, a school founded for the children of former slaves by the American Missionary Association.



Athens was traditionally a cotton and railroad town, but since the local aerospace boom of the 1950s and 1960s it has increasingly entered the orbit of nearby industry center Huntsville as the area's cotton production has steadily declined.



In 1934, Athens became the first city to get its electricity from the Tennessee Valley Authority.

Browns Ferry Nuclear Power Station Nuclear Regulatory Commission photo

Athens is the home of Browns Ferry Nuclear Power Plant, a Tennessee Valley Authority installation first operated in 1974, that was once the world's largest nuclear plant. It provides many jobs to the area and most of the electricity for the Huntsville-Decatur Metro Area. On March 22, 1975, the Browns Ferry plant became the scene of what was, with the exception of the Three Mile Island incident, the most serious nuclear accident in United States history. A worker using a candle to check for air leaks started a fire among control wires, causing a temporary threat to operational control of the reactor.

Education

Athens-Limestone Public Library

Athens City Schools,

Athens City Schools is the public school district of Athens, Alabama. As of 2006 it has some 2,845 students and 210 full-time teachers. The district includes one high school, Athens High School, one intermediate school, one middle school and four elementary schools.

Athens Bible School

Athens Bible School » About ABS
About ABS
Spiritual Emphasis

At the heart of Athens Bible School's mission is the desire to train our students to love the Lord and be obedient to His Word.



To this end, Athens Bible School offers daily Bible classes for all students. The program is structured in such a way that grades kindergarten through fourth study the entire Bible story each year. This produces strong foundations in Bible knowledge from an early start. Grades five through eleven study various portions of the Bible as they continue to build on the knowledge already achieved. Twelfth graders participate in a topical study in order to prepare them for questions they will face in life.

Another important part of our school day is our chapel assembly. This provides the opportunity for students to reflect on a message presented from God's word as well as the opportunity to sing and pray. Each Friday young men from high school classes organize and direct the worship period.

During the school year high school students have the opportunity to participate in enrichment Bible classes taught by the Athens Bible School Bible Department and guest teachers. This gives students the option of choosing extra Bible classes to further aid in the growth of their knowledge.

The following list gives a brief description of Bible studies for each grade:

Kindergarten: The Bible story with an emphasis on creation

First: The Bible story with an emphasis on the wilderness wandering and the books of Joshua, Judges, and Ruth

Second: The Bible story with an emphasis on the United Kingdom and wisdom literature

Third: The Bible story with an emphasis on the Divided Kingdom

Fourth: The Bible story with an emphasis on the life of Christ and Acts

Fifth: The book of Genesis

Sixth: The book of Acts, with an introduction to the epistles and a brief history of the first century

Seventh: The book of Genesis through the United Kingdom

Eighth: The Divided Kingdom through the return from captivity and prophets during this time

Ninth: The “years of silence,” life of Christ, and book of Acts

Tenth: The New Testament epistles

Eleventh: The writings of the Apostle John

Twelfth: Courtship, home and family, Bible authority, and the New Testament church

Faith Christian Academy K3-12

MISSION STATEMENT OF FAITH CHRISTIAN ACADEMY:
To provide education which is academically excellent and based on Biblical and Christian values.

Serving North Alabama with Christian education: Athens, Madison, Huntsville, Harvest, East Limestone.....

Athens State University

Athens State University, located in Athens, Alabama, USA, is a two-year upper level university. Athens State is the only two-year upper level university in the state of Alabama. Thirty-three different majors are offered to junior and senior students.

Athens State University began as the Athens Female Academy in 1822. The Methodist Church took control of the institution in 1842, changing the name to the Athens Female Institute. In 1931 the name was changed again to Athens College and it became coeducational. In 1974 the state of Alabama took control and the college became known as Athens State College. Later, in 1998, Athens State College became Athens State University.