The old Fayette

County Courthouse lawn has been the scene of a number of events: Confederate

soldiers garrisoned there on the fall of 1864; Gypsies trading their goods

for fresh vegetables; a juror who ate his lunch sitting under one of its

trees during a trial break; heavy equipment putting the top of the courthouse

back together after an arson fire in 1982; and the Old Courthouse Art

Show.

Started in

the 1960s, it has become one of Fayette's historical treasures.

The past 14

years the art show's organizing committee has consisted of Patsy and Ed

Gullett, Kaydee Matthews, Dick and Jan Allis and Debi Lenox. They were

assisted this past weekend by a number of other volunteers.

Proceeds provide

a $750 scholarship for an art student at each Fayette County high school.

On the receiving end this year were Cuyler Hovey-King, Fayette County

High School, who will be attending Savannah College of Art and Design

this fall; Robert Jones, McIntosh High School, Marymount College in Manhattan,

New York City; Colin McGann, Starr's Mill High School, Georgia State;

and Hilary Mercer, Sandy Creek High School, Georgia State.

Those taking

the top three prize awards were: first place, Gary Curtis, a watercolorist

from Woodstock; second place, John Carlson, Birmingham, and Kathrin Weber

Scott, third place winner from Clyde, N.C. She is a hand weaver.

Though rain

threatened from time to time, it held off long enou gh for hundreds

of interested people to browse and buy.