Jessica HassanAltar Of The New Testament And Founders Hall is a Museum located in Limestone County, which is in the geographic Greater Huntsville Area in Northern Alabama. It is a Point of Interest in Athens. Altar Of The New Testament And Founders Hall is located at 300 N Beaty St , Athens, AL 35611 (opens Google Maps in a new tab), in zip code 35611, with the nearest city/town being Athens.
If you are looking for a home close to Altar Of The New Testament And Founders Hall or in the Altar Of The New Testament And Founders Hall area, Jessica Hassan is the realtor to choose. She can help you find a home in Athens, Limestone, Greater Huntsville Area, and across the entire Northern Alabama region.
About the Altar of the New Testament and Founders Hall
Located at Athens State University in Athens, Alabama, the Altar of the New Testament and Founders Hall is housed within Founders Hall—the oldest building on the campus, built in the 1840s. This historic Greek Revival structure serves as a central landmark and home to a remarkable carved wooden altar depicting scenes from the New Testament.
What Exhibits & Collections does the Altar of the New Testament and Founders Hall have?
The centerpiece is a life-size altar composed of intricately carved tulipwood panels, illustrating characters and scenes from the New Testament. Completed over a 12-year period by alumna Eunice McDonald Meadows after her 1970 donation, the carvings include depictions of Christ, the four Evangelists, Isaiah, St. Peter, and St. Paul. Founders Hall also includes an elegant chapel and parlor used for events and community gatherings within the university.
What is the Altar of the New Testament and Founders Hall known for?
It is best known for its stunning wooden carvings—considered a masterpiece of local craftsmanship and a symbol of spiritual heritage at Athens State University. The altar’s creation by a devoted alumna in her later years adds a deeply personal legacy, giving it unique historical and artistic significance in Limestone County.
Does the Altar of the New Testament and Founders Hall offer Community & Education focused programs?
Yes. As part of Athens State University, Founders Hall is a site for educational tours, university ceremonies, and heritage programming. While the altar itself isn’t part of a museum tour, the space hosts campus events, chapel services, and guided visits that highlight its history and artistry.
What are the Altar of the New Testament and Founders Hall Hours and Admissions?
- Hours: Open Monday–Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, matching campus operating hours. Access may vary during holidays or university breaks.
- Admission: Free to the public, as part of the Athens State University campus grounds. Public tours typically require prior arrangement with the university’s events office.
Where can I learn more about the Altar of the New Testament and Founders Hall?
Founders Hall is located at 300 N. Beaty Street, Athens, AL 35611. For more information or to schedule a visit, contact Athens State University at (256) 233‑8100 or visit the university’s official website and Athens Visitors Center pages, which provide details on heritage tours and chapel access.
Local area facts for Athens – Limestone County
Athens Facts
People
- Population
- 34209
- Median age
- 40.9 years
Homes
- Households
- 11251
- Housing units
- 12415
- Vacant housing units
- 1164
- Owner-occupied homes
- 7202
- Renter-occupied homes
- 4049
Housing costs
- Median owner-occupied home value
- $270000
- Median gross rent
- $899 /mo
- Owner costs with mortgage
- $1528 /mo
- Owner costs without mortgage
- $527 /mo
Calculated measures
- Renters spending 30%+ on housing
- 39.685039%
Travel
- Mean commute
- 24.6 min
Income
- Median household income
- $69922
Sources & notes
Population
U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program, vintage 2025; resident population as of July 1, 2025. ACS sampling margins of error do not apply.
Source dataMedian age
U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 five-year estimate. Published 90% margin of error: ±1.8 years.
Source dataHouseholds
U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 five-year estimate. Published 90% margin of error: ±496 housing units. Households correspond to occupied housing units.
Source dataHousing units
U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 five-year estimate. Published 90% margin of error: ±486 housing units.
Source dataOwner-occupied homes
U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 five-year estimate. Published 90% margin of error: ±532 housing units.
Source dataRenter-occupied homes
U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 five-year estimate. Published 90% margin of error: ±459 housing units.
Source dataMedian household income
U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 five-year estimate. Published 90% margin of error: ±8296 USD/year. Income is in 2024 inflation-adjusted dollars.
Source dataVacant housing units
U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 five-year estimate. Universe: Housing units. Unit: housing units. Vacant is a Census housing-status category, not a count of homes advertised for sale or rent. Published 90% margin of error: +/-271 housing units.
Source definitionMedian owner-occupied home value
U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 five-year estimate. Universe: Owner-occupied housing units. Unit: USD. Survey-reported value of owner-occupied homes, not current listings, appraisals or sale prices. Published 90% margin of error: +/-18606 USD.
Source dataMedian gross rent
U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 five-year estimate. Universe: Renter-occupied housing units paying cash rent. Unit: USD/month. Gross rent includes contract rent and applicable tenant-paid utilities and fuels; not current advertised rents. Published 90% margin of error: +/-89 USD/month.
Source dataOwner costs with mortgage
U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 five-year estimate. Universe: Owner-occupied housing units with a mortgage. Unit: USD/month. Median selected monthly owner costs include mortgage payments and applicable taxes, insurance, utilities, fuels and fees; not mortgage payment alone. Published 90% margin of error: +/-94 USD/month.
Source dataOwner costs without mortgage
U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 five-year estimate. Universe: Owner-occupied housing units without a mortgage. Unit: USD/month. Median selected monthly owner costs include applicable taxes, insurance, utilities, fuels and fees. Published 90% margin of error: +/-29 USD/month.
Source dataRenters spending 30%+ on housing
U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 five-year estimate. Universe: Cash-rent renter households with gross rent as a percentage of income computed. Unit: percent. Calculated share with gross rent at least 30% of household income. Excludes households whose percentage cannot be computed. Derived margin of error is unavailable; no unrelated margin is substituted. Formula: 100*(B25070_007E+B25070_008E+B25070_009E+B25070_010E)/(B25070_001E-B25070_011E). Numerator: 1512; denominator: 3810.
Source dataMean commute
U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 five-year Data Profile DP03_0025E. Mean one-way travel time to work, in minutes; workers age 16 and over who did not work from home. Retained accepted source run profile-31190; source SHA256 097b9dc1979c94ef809352561e32e389771b032607396d637bc4de7c701f8dea, line 25. This reuses accepted source evidence, not a new API fetch. Published 90% margin of error: +/-2.1 minutes. Survey travel time is not a current traffic estimate or a route to a named employer.
Source dataPopulation and ACS measures may cover different periods; the source notes identify each one. Community averages do not describe an individual household or establish the condition or suitability of a particular property. Estimates and margins are retained without replacing missing or annotated values with zero.
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