Editing Athens, Louisiana

{{about|the village in Louisiana||Athens (disambiguation)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name                  = Athens, Louisiana
| settlement_type       = Village
| image_skyline         = Athens, LA, Town Hall IMG_3604.JPG
| imagesize             = 200px
| image_caption         = Athens Town Hall
| image_map             = File:Claiborne Parish Louisiana Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Athens Highlighted.svg
| mapsize               = 
| map_caption           = Location of Athens in Claiborne Parish, Louisiana.
| image_map1            = Louisiana in United States (US48).svg
| map_caption1          = Location of Louisiana in the United States
| pushpin_map           = Louisiana#USA#North America
| pushpin_label_position = 
| pushpin_label         = Athens
| pushpin_map_caption   = Location in Louisiana
<!-- Location --->
| subdivision_type      = Country
| subdivision_name      = United States
| subdivision_type1     = State
| subdivision_name1     = Louisiana
| subdivision_type2     = Parish
| subdivision_name2     = [[Claiborne Parish, Louisiana|Claiborne]]
<!-- Government -->
| established_title     = Incorporated
| established_date      = 1902
| founder               = 
| named_for             = 
| government_footnotes  = 
| government_type       = 
| governing_body        = 
| leader_party          = 
| leader_title          = Mayor
| leader_name           = 
<!-- Area ----->
| unit_pref             = Imperial
| area_footnotes        = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_22.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=March 20, 2022}}</ref>
| area_total_km2        = 9.07
| area_total_sq_mi      = 3.50
| area_land_km2         = 9.07
| area_land_sq_mi       = 3.50
| area_water_km2        = 0.00
| area_water_sq_mi      = 0.00
<!-- Population ---->
| population_as_of      = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_footnotes  = 
| population_total      = 237
| population_density_km2 = 26.13
| population_density_sq_mi = 67.69
| population_demonym    = 
<!-- General information -->
| timezone1             = [[North American Central Time Zone|CST]]
| utc_offset1           = -6
| timezone1_DST         = [[North American Central Time Zone|CDT]]
| utc_offset1_DST       = -5
| elevation_footnotes   = <ref name=gnis/>
| elevation_ft          = 367
| coordinates           = {{coord|32|39|29|N|93|01|40|W|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates_footnotes = <ref name=gnis/>
<!-- Area/postal codes and others -->
| postal_code_type      = 
| postal_code           = 
| area_code             = [[Area code 318|318]]
| blank_name            = [[Federal Information Processing Standards|FIPS code]]
| blank_info            = 22-03320
| blank1_name           = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info           = 2407411<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2407411}}</ref>
| website               = {{URL|http://www.athensla.com}}
| footnotes             = 
}}

'''Athens''' is a [[village (Louisiana)|village]] in [[Claiborne Parish, Louisiana]], United States. The population was 249 at the [[2010 United States Census|2010 census]].<ref name="Census 2010">{{Cite web|url=https://www.census.gov |title=Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (DP-1): Athens village, Louisiana |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |accessdate=April 3, 2012 }}</ref>

==History==
The village was named after the ancient city of [[Athens]], capital of [[Greece]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Leeper|first=Clare D'Artois|title=Louisiana Place Names: Popular, Unusual, and Forgotten Stories of Towns, Cities, Plantations, Bayous, and Even Some Cemeteries|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZHeeUa0xNxcC&pg=PA23|date=October 19, 2012|publisher=LSU Press|isbn=978-0-8071-4740-5|page=23}}</ref>  Athens became the parish seat of [[Claiborne Parish, Louisiana|Claiborne Parish]] in 1846, but in 1848, fire destroyed the courthouse and all the records in it.  Soon thereafter, the Claiborne Parish [[Police Jury]] decided to move the parish seat to its present location in [[Homer, Louisiana|Homer]].<ref>{{cite book|editor1-last=Harris|editor1-first=D. W.|editor2-last=Hulse|editor2-first=B. M.|title=The History of Claiborne Parish, Louisiana, From Its Incorporation in 1828 to the Close of the Year 1885|url=https://archive.org/details/historyofclaibor00harr|date=1886|publisher=W. B. Stansbury & Co.|location=New Orleans|pages=[https://archive.org/details/historyofclaibor00harr/page/19 19]–20, 103}}</ref>

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the village has a total area of {{convert|5.7|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}, all land.

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1910= 514
|1920= 493
|1930= 461
|1940= 491
|1950= 487
|1960= 406
|1970= 387
|1980= 419
|1990= 278
|2000= 262
|2010= 249
|2020= 237
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|accessdate=June 4, 2015}}</ref>
}}
As of the census<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |accessdate=January 31, 2008 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref> of 2000, there were 262 people, 112 households, and 73 families residing in the village. The population density was {{convert|119.2|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 137 housing units at an average density of {{convert|62.3|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the village was 72.52% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 24.05% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 2.29% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.38% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], and 0.76% from two or more races.

There were 112 households, out of which 34.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.9% were married couples living together, 16.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.8% were non-families. 30.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 21.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.93.

In the village, the population was spread out, with 28.6% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 18.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.1 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $18,750, and the median income for a family was $26,750. Males had a median income of $23,393 versus $22,250 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the village was $13,033. About 7.0% of families and 14.2% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 13.6% of those under the age of eighteen and 20.0% of those 65 or over.

==Government and infrastructure==
The [[United States Postal Service]] operates the Athens Post Office.<ref>"[http://usps.whitepages.com/service/post_office/athens-258-highway-805-athens-la-1353560 Post Office Location - ATHENS] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120616070634/http://usps.whitepages.com/service/post_office/athens-258-highway-805-athens-la-1353560 |date=2012-06-16 }}." [[United States Postal Service]]. Retrieved on October 2, 2010.</ref>

==Education==
[[Claiborne Parish School Board]] is the school district for all of the parish.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st22_la/schooldistrict_maps/c22027_claiborne/DC20SD_C22027.pdf|title=2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Claiborne Parish, LA|publisher=[[U.S. Census Bureau]]|access-date=February 11, 2024}} - [https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st22_la/schooldistrict_maps/c22027_claiborne/DC20SD_C22027_SD2MS.txt Text list]</ref> Students go to schools in Homer, including [[Homer High School (Louisiana)|Homer High School]]. Prior to 2012, students were zoned to the Pre-K-12 [[Athens High School (Louisiana)|Athens High School]]. The school had 162 students in February 2012. It closed in summer 2012, with students moved to Homer schools.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ktbs.com/news/athens-school-closes/article_67eae2a2-f98e-50f7-b94b-07952b415174.html|title=Athens school closes|publisher=[[KTBS]]|date=May 11, 2012|access-date=January 22, 2024}}</ref>

The Mt. Olive Christian School, pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade, operates in the former Athens High School building, constructed in 1930, with the last graduating class there in 1969.<ref name=mocs>{{cite web| url=http://www.privateschoolreview.com/school_ov/school_id/11669| title=Mt. Olive Christian School| publisher=privateschoolreview.com| accessdate=January 2, 2011}}</ref>

==Notable people==
*[[Dorothy Brown (politician)|Dorothy Brown]] (born 1953), politician
*[[Harvey C. Couch|Jessie Johnson Couch]], wife of  [[Harvey Couch]], was an Athens native.<ref>"Harvey Couch, Utility and Rail Magnate Dies: Was Example of Farm Boy Who Made Good in Big Way", ''Minden Herald'', August 1, 1941, p. 1</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Athens, Louisiana}}
*[http://www.athensla.com Village of Athens Official Website]

{{Claiborne Parish, Louisiana}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Villages in Claiborne Parish, Louisiana]]
[[Category:Villages in Louisiana]]