The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1921-09-27
EXACT REPLICA
OF PARTHEN0N
is BEING BUILT
Nashville, Tennessee, Is To ~ ~:
the First Reconstruction Of
1t Ever Put UD

Nashville, Tenn, Sept. 26.-Wi;hir
a year the United States will have the
only eXact-to-the-inch reproduction o.
tho Atheni2n Parathenon, the so
called Parthenon at Regensburg be
ing merely an adaptation OF the great
temple. THAT masterpiece at Athens
conceived and built by Phidias, tho
sculptor, Ictinus, the architect, ant
Pericles, the statesman is being re
constructed here in a more enduring
form than was the original.
When Telnessee's centennial was
celebrated by an International NXposi
ton twenty-four years ago, the direc
tors OF the fete built in tcmpcrar:
form Il replica of the Parthenon II
was used to house the art exhibit OF
chat exposition.
Nashville people considered it Il
partial qualification of their ambition
to make their city as the Athens OF
the South. "
This temporary structure, erected
hastily and with comparatively
small amount of money left much t.
be desired in the execution CT the del
icate ornamentation and the %reat
number of statues which had to be
reconstructed from the Inadequate
drawings then in existence. Yet. the
general effect of the cream-cOlored
staff structure with brilliant colors in
the frieZe and gables so overshadowcG
all the other buildings that when the
exposition was over the people de
mandod it's preservation and it be
came Shrine to the residents anu
visitors Ct Nashville
Three years ago, disintegratiOn had
progressed to such an extent that thi
building had to be closed.
1t was finally decided to erect per.
manent replica of the Athenian TEN
pie, using The method known as the
Mosaic Surface" concrete. devclopcG
by John Early of Washington, u. c.
who was intrusted with that part Oi
the work.
There still remained the question 81
The red background OF the mctopes
and gables, the blue OF the :riglyDs as
agreed upon by the majority of au-
thorities on Greek architecture. To
merely apply pigments to the surface
OF these ceWent casts would have in
vclved the same periodical expense
of renewing the colors as it would
have on marble, which il had beer
decided not TO use.
About that time George Julian Zol-
nay. sculptor, was making expert
ments IN the production of a durable
material other than the costly stone
and bronze, realizing that not until
the sculptOr's worl; can be success.
fully reproduced in less expensive yet
durable materials will sculpture be-
come a truly democratic art.
He secured synthetic stone, which
not only poured" but could be made
stoned by the Nashville Park Board
to reconstruct that figure of the grea
temple and then to reproduce them
in this artificial stone.
Whether the original Parthenon had
an open roof or whether there was
some structural arrangement with
side lights masked by the c0rnico hrs
never been determined. The Nash
vile ParthenOn will have a fiat sky
light following the slope of the roe
and so arranged as to obtain the best
possible light within, where an ar
museum will be located eventually
Probably the exterior of the build
ing will be completed by the autumn
of 1922.
Erected in Centennial Park tho
Parthenon of the New World Will af-
ford TO Americans an opportunity OF
viewing an exact replica at one place
what would require months Of travel
to find in the museums and elsewhere
in Europe.