Cultural Resource Assessment River Bank Stabilization Project Greenwich Cemetery, Savannah, Georgia

Greenwich Cemetery is one of three cemeteries located along the Wilmington River east of the City of Savannah (Figure 1). Greenwich, and Bonaventure Cemetery immediately to the south, are owned by the City. The bluff edge along the northeast portion of Greenwich Cemetery is suffering from erosion, perhaps related to the presence of the Intracoastal waterway in the adjacent Wilmington River. In order to counteract this erosion, the City of Savannah contracted with Hussey, Gay, Bell & DeYoung to develop river bank stabilization measures for the endangered portion of the bluff. Since Greenwich Cemetery was once the site of a plantation dating to the mid-18th century, and later the location of an extensive estate, the Savannah District, Corps of Engineers (COE) requested completion of a cultural resource assessment prior to implementation of the bank stabilization measures. The goals of this assessment were: (1) to determine the potential for cultural resources to be present within the project area; (2) to locate and assess the significance of such resources; and, (3) to assist the city and the COE in protecting such resources from negative impacts as a result of the bank stabilization.

Hussey, Gay, Bell & DeYoung contracted with SouthArc, Inc. to provide the necessary cultural resource assessment. Due to contractual obligations regarding the stabilization project, it was necessary for the assessment to be completed in a very compressed time frame. SouthArc I s archaeologists, Martin F. Dickinson and Lucy B. Wayne, coordinated closely with Judy Wood and Penny Hadgeoff of the COE to develop an acceptable scope of work and implement the project within the available time. Project activities included: (1) background research in the archives of the city of Savannah, the COE, and the Georgia Historical Society, as well as information on file at SouthArc; (2) field survey consisting of both surface inspection and subsurface testing; (3) analysis of recovered materials; and (4) documentation of project results. These methods are delineated in section 4.0 of this document. Sections 2.0 and 3.0 provide a synthesis of the background research.

As a result of the project, areas containing potentially significant cultural resources were identified within the impact areas of the bank stabilization. These areas included small portions of relatively undisturbed upland immediately adjacent to the major trees on the site and a lense of historic midden eroding from a portion of the bluff. The remains of a late 19th-early 20^th century recreational structure are also located within the project impact area. However, this feature has already been seriously impacted by development of the cemetery and erosion. In addition, the project engineers do not plan to remove or alter the structure during the stabilization project. The cultural resources are fully described in Section 5.0 of this document.

Potentially significant resources will be protected during the stabilization project through avoidance in the case of the undisturbed upland areas, and cover ing with the stabilization material in the case of the eroding midden and portions of the recreational structure. These measures are explained in detail in Section 5.0 of this document.