Sitting in

the shadows of the sparkling new justice center and jail stands a building

that some Fayette residents would like to see saved from the wrecking

ball.

In 1986, the

new Fayette County Library was built near the Fayette County Jail, said

Fayette County Historian Carolyn Cary.

"The first

library in the county was built in 1948 by a group of Fayetteville ladies.

They had been working toward their own building for nearly 20 years,"

Cary said.

Cary added

that Margaret Mitchell played a big part in getting the county its first

library.

"With

the help of the late author Margaret Mitchell, and selling jams and homemade

aprons on the Courthouse Square, they finally had enough fund to construct

the building at Lee and Johnson avenues, containing 1,000 square feet.

The building currently houses the Fayette County Historical Society,"

she said.

The Margaret

Mitchell Library, so named with her permission, had grown in volumes by

1985 to the point that there was no more room for additional shelving,

said Cary.

But the library

quickly outgrew its 5,000 sq. ft. and moved to its present location in

1997. The building adjacent to the jail was used to house magistrate judges

and is currently housing officials from the Sheriff's Department while

the old courthouse undergoes renovations.

Fayette County

Board of Commissioners executive assistant Carol Chandler said the old

library will be demolished after the courthouse renovations are complete

and sheriff's officials are through using the buildings.

But e-mails

to this paper and the Fayette County Commission have asked if there is

a possibility to save the building for additional office space.

The answer

appears to be no.

"When

we bid the contract for the jail and courthouse in 1999, we pledged to

neighbors in that area to take that building down and install a berm to

help visually obscure the new buildings," said Commission Chairman

Greg Dunn.

Dunn said the

building is now the actual property of the contractor and it will be demolished

after all the work is done.

If an organization

or group wanted to move the building and use it, Dunn said the county

would work with the group, but the organization would have to pay for

all the moving costs.