historic house that sits in the path of the

wrecking ball must be moved by April 1, 2000, or

it will be torn down.

Fayette

County commissioners last week voted unanimously

to let the city of Fayetteville solicit proposals

from private companies or individuals to move the

house and restore it for private use, as long as

it is moved by the deadline.

The

Dorsey house is of historic interest because it

was altered by famed architect Neel Reid, and

because it was once occupied by a wounded Civil

War veteran.

Situated

on Long Avenue, the house is on land that Fayette

County plans to use for a new jail and courthouse

complex in downtown Fayetteville.

With

two historic restoration projects underway,

Fayetteville doesn't have the money to take on

another, city manager Mike Bryant explained

recently. City officials hope to entice residents

or businesses to move the house somewhere within

the city's historic Main Street district and use

it as an office or home.

"We

would invite anybody who is interested in

preserving the house and restoring it for some

use to give us a call and we'll sit down and talk

to them," Bryant said.

The

city's phone number is 770-461-6029.

The

house is the former home of John Manson Dorsey,

son of one of the former owners of the

Holliday-Dorsey-Fife House.

John

Dorsey was a private in the Fayette County

Rifles, 107 local men who joined the Civil War.

He was wounded at Gettysburg.

During

the early 1900s, famed architect Neel Reed

performed some redesign work on the house, adding

to its historical value.

In

other business during last week's meeting,

commissioners:

� Approved purchase of a Cat

963 tractor loader from Yancey Brothers for

$182,547.

� Approved rezoning of 10.12

acres on Neely Road from R-20 (one-acre

subdivision) to A-R (agricultural-residential).

Owner Darrell Kozisek said he wants to have a

home and farm on the land.

� Approved Lloyd Touchton's

request to rezone his 22.08 acres on Spence Road

from R-70 (two-acre subdivision) to A-R, also for

a home and farm.

� Reappointed Fred Bowen to

the Planning and Zoning Commission and David

Bartosh to the Zoning Board of Appeals.

� Went on record as placing

the widening of Ga. Highway 54 west as the

county's top priority among road improvement

projects.

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