Athens was a Afro-American community located about two miles southeast of Lacey Spring in Linville district. The school was located near the Zenda Post Office and the school was often referred to as the Zenda school. The date of construction of the earliest school at Athens is unknown. Lucy Simms, who later taught in Harrisonburg for over 50 years, taught at Athens (Zenda) during the 1877-78 school year before taking the position in Harrisonburg. In 1882 a new building was constructed near Long's Chapel. The church and school are noted in Lake's 1885 Atlas of Rockingham County. The names of early teachers at this school are unknown but, as the Afro-American population diminished near the turn of the century, the school, which became more commonly known as Zenda, had difficulty maintaining a legal average. Apparently the school was closed for many years before it was reopened in the 1920s. The students at Zenda were probably transported to Harrisonburg during this time period. The school was reopened in 1921 and Annie M. Massie served as teacher at Zenda until it was finally closed in 1925. Teachers known to have taught at Zenda are:

1877-78 Lucy Simms

1921-25 (four sessions) Annie M. Massie

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