Archeological Delineation of the Georgia State Penitentiary Cemetery, Cedar Creek Tap 115 kV Transmission Line, Milledgeville, Baldwin County, Georgia

Georgia Transmission Corporation (GTC) wishes to improve the existing Cedar Creek Tap 115 kV transmission line on the northwestern edge of Milledgeville in Baldwin County (Figures 1 and 2). The improvements consist mainly of the replacement of existing wooden poles with slightly larger single poles. During the planning phase in 2015 GTC was informed that the transmission line crosses an abandoned cemetery associated with the former Georgia State Penitentiary and penitentiary farm which existed nearby from about 1899 to 1937. In late 2015 GTC contracted with Southeastern Archeological Services, Inc. (SAS) to investigate this cemetery and determine if the proposed improvements to the transmission line would constitute an adverse effect to the cemetery. Archival research, visual inspection and probing of select areas resulted in a progress report dated October 2, 2015 that delineated the likely boundaries of the cemetery (Gresham 2015). The main focus of the investigation was on transmission line Pole 22, which is located just east of a fence line that forms the apparent western edge of the cemetery. Thus, this pole is apparently just inside of the cemetery. Graves were detected east of the fence near this pole, but intensive probing on the west side of the fence, in a pasture, failed to detect any graves. However, two areas of soft soil about 7 to 10 ft (2 to 3 m) west of the fence were detected by the probing. Gresham (2015) concluded that the western fence line was likely the boundary of the cemetery and that if the new Pole 22 were placed 10 to 30 ft (3 to 9 m) west of the fence, there would virtually be no chance of encountering and disturbing a grave. Gresham (2015) further concluded that care would need to be exercised in removing the existing Pole 22, so as to not disturb the graves that are nearby. Finally, Gresham (2015) recommended that the proposed new location for Pole 22 be examined by an archeologist who would strip the plowzone off to expose any potential grave shafts at the pole location.