Formerly known as "Farmersville", Benoni Wiltse, a United Empire Loyalist, and his brothers settled in the town of Athens in 1792. Farmersville was renamed to Athens in 1888 by Arza Parish in honour of Athens, Greece, because it was an educational centre with grammar school, a model school for teacher training, and a high school. Athens' post office was named in 1890. Currently, the town of Athens is known for a series of large outdoor murals depicting historical local life, painted on the sides of various buildings.