Originally built in 1822 as the Athens Female Academy, and then repurposed by the Methodist Church, what is now known as Athens State College is both the oldest and newest school of higher education in the Alabama state system. It is the oldest because the Female Academy opened before any other Alabama state college or university, and newest because it didn’t officially join the Alabama State educational system until 1975.
The most prominent building on the campus is Founders’ Hall, home of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, the four columns that hold up the structure. Local legend states that during...




