New South Associates, Inc., conducted geophysical and archaeological investigations for proposed renovations to Beeson Hall, on the campus of Georgia College and State University (GCSU), Baldwin County, Georgia (Figure 1). Construction efforts that may impact archaeological remains include the installation of utilities as well as grading. These areas of impact are illustrated on the plan 2015-10-09 Marked Up Construction Limits (8-25-15). In its review of the undertaking, the Georgia Historic Preservation Division (HPD) noted that these construction areas are within and adjacent to a known Georgia and National Register of Historic Places (G/NRHP) eligible site, 9BL50. HPD thus requested an intensive Phase I survey and metal detection of the construction limits.
Results of the current investigations indicate that the landscape around Beeson Hall has been heavily impacted and modified. Although the study area is inside the boundary of site 9BL50, it was an area of the site that contained no known buildings or features. No intact archaeological features were identified and the recovered artifacts are almost all of modern origin. Construction of Beeson Hall likely altered the original landscape. Based on results of the current investigations, there is a very low likelihood for additional intact archaeological deposits. For these reasons, New South recommends that the proposed activities will have no adverse effect to site 9BL50 and no further work is necessary.
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