For more information on the Athens Murals:
http://www.ucdsb.on.ca/athens/murals/index.htm

The Athens Murals

One of the main reasons that the murals are important to the Village of Athens is that they keep the history of our town alive. The murals are a visual history book of our town. They keep the past alive, as past events such as our Turkey Fair, Orange Day Parade and summer concerts at the Village bandstand are permanently displayed on our walls. Past residents are kept alive also. Edna B.Chant, who wrote some history books on Athens and the surrounding area, is displayed in one mural and has another one dedicated to one of her books. Crawford Slack, an artist and poet, is featured in the mural Charleston Lake Picnic and The Gathering is actually a reproduction of one of Crawford Slack's paintings. These are just two examples. Most of the people painted in the murals were taken from early photographs.

The murals are also very important to our businesses. The business people in Athens now depend on the thriving tourist industry that the murals are creating.

The Impact of the Murals on Athens

By Don Curry, Past President, Athens & District Chamber of Commerce

Mural Facts

The Murals…

• Now Attract up to 5000 visitors every year.
• Have served to portray Athens as a peaceful, historical Village with a splendid mix of stately houses.
• Are a source of pride, as is the Village, to Athens residents. This pride expresses itself in the hospitality the residents extend to tourists and visitors.
• Have generated new businesses to serve tourists and residents. i.e. The Carriage Factory Gift Shop, Restoration Farms Gift/Antique Shop's, The Village Green Golf Club, etc...
• Have attracted tourists, who impressed with the Village, retire in the village and district.
  

Sadly enough, in past years we have lost two of our murals, both of which are shown in the picture at the top of the page. Both 'As The Pages Turn...' which was destroyed in a horrible fire, and 'Turkey Fair Day' which was painted over, have been lost to us, but to account for this loss we have had two new murals painted. The first of which is 'Step Into The Past' (1997) which is Athens first indoor mural, and 'The Life Of Joshua Bates' (2001) which is our second indoor mural.