Plans to erect the Athens Confederate Monument began in 1866, immediately following the end of the Civil War. After years of fundraising, The Mount Vernon Masonic Lodge laid the Athens Confederate Monument's cornerstone in downtown Athens at the corner of College Avenue and Washington Street on May 5, 1871. The following year, on June 3, 1872, the Ladies Memorial Association unveiled the completed monument and held a dedication ceremony. In 1912 the monument was moved twice. First a half a block north on College Avenue, then later to the median on Broad Street. In 2021 the monument was moved to its current location at Timothy Place near the site of the Battle of Barber's Creek, the only Civil War battle fought in Clarke County.