COLUMBIA, There is a house on a quiet Columbia street that has been standing since 1837, and it holds more of Maury County's story than almost any other structure still upright in Middle Tennessee. The Historic Athenaeum Rectory, the only remaining building from two of Columbia's most important early schools, is offering free admission this month, and for anyone who has ever wanted to understand where this community came from, this is the time to walk through that front door.
The home was built by Nathan Vaught, known as the Master Builder of Maury County, for Samuel Polk Walker, a nephew of President James K. Polk. Walker never lived there. Instead, the first family to occupy the house was that of the Reverend Franklin Gillette Smith, who arrived in Columbia in the spring of 1837 after accepting the position of headmaster of the Columbia Female Institute. Smith and his family loaded their belongings into wagons and made the journey from Virginia, and Walker offered his new home as their residence since it sat adjacent to the school. By 1852, Smith had opened his own institution next door: the Athenaeum, whose name derives from Athena, the goddess of knowledge, meaning roughly the Seat of Knowledge. It was among the first private schools for girls not affiliated with a religion, offering its students advanced mathematics, sciences, foreign languages, musical instruction, and etiquette, the full education of a well-prepared mind.
The Athenaeum operated until 1904, when the property was sold to the City of Columbia for use as a public school. The Columbia Female Institute continued nearby until the Great Depression forced its closure. The school building itself was razed in 1915 to make way for the first Columbia Central High School, and the Institute burned in 1959. Of both institutions, only the Smith family's home remains. Members of the Smith family continued to live there until the last of them, Miss Carrie Smith, passed away. The family then donated the property to the Maury County Chapter of the Association for the Preservation of Tennessee Antiquities, which has operated it as a museum ever since.
Walking through the Athenaeum Rectory is a reminder that this county has always placed a high value on education, faith, and the passing of knowledge from one generation to the next. The free admission offer this May is an invitation that should not be overlooked, especially for families with children who deserve to know the ground their community stands on. Visit historicathenaeum.com for details on hours and the free day offering.