Historic Resources Survey of the 1996 Olympic Venue Clark's Bridge Public Use Area, Lake Sidney Lanier, Hall County Georgia

The Mobile District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, is considering a request from Hall County and the City of Gainesville, Georgia to lease government owned lands at and near Clark Bridge Public Use Area, Lake Sidney Lanier, Georgia. The government owned lands and adjacent private lands will be used for the Rowing and Canoeing/Kayaking Venue for the 1996 Olympics to be hosted by the City of Atlanta, Georgia. Clark's Bridge Park, an existing Corps Public Use Area (PUA), on the west bank of the Chattahoochee River, has been selected as the Olympic site for the Competitor's Village. A site on the east bank consisting of Government owned and private land will be used for the Spectator's Village, and an area about one mile upstream from the Clark Bridge on the west bank will be used as the Starting Line. Five archeological sites, 9 Hl161, 9 Hl162, 9H1250, 9H1251, and 9 H1252 had been identified on the shoreline in the vicinity of Clark Bridge by the University of Georgia during surveys conducted of government lands at Lake Sidney Lanier in 1978-79. None of the sites were recommended as potentially eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. Three of the sites, 9H1250,9H1251, and 9H1252, are located well outside of the proposed Olympic Venue area and were not revisited during this survey. The reported locations of 9 Hl161 and 9 Hl162 were inspected during the current survey and could not be relocated. The Clark House, which dates to the mid 19th century, is located on private land and is being considered for use as a Hospitality Center for the Olympic Venue. The house is recommended as eligible for the National Register of Historic Places.