Cultural Resources Survey of the Rosedale Dam Expanded Footprint Areas as Part of the Rocky Creek Flood Risk Management Section 205 Study Augusta, Richmond County, Georgia

Commonwealth Heritage Group, Inc. (CHG) was sub-contracted by CDM Smith for the United States Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah District (USACE) to conduct a Cultural Resources Survey (CRS) of the Rosedale Dam Expanded Footprint Areas, including both architectural and archaeological investigations and documentation. The USACE is implementing flood risk management measures with construction of a water detention area at Rosedale Dam. A total of 28 parcels were assessed as part of the architectural field survey and approximately 17 acres (ac) were investigated as part of the archaeological field survey. The CRS meets the standards detailed in Archeology and Historic Preservation, Secretary of the Interior Standards and Guidelines 48 FR, Part 44716-42, Vol. 48, No. 190, September 29, 1983, as well as the Georgia Historic Preservation Division (HPD), Georgia State Historic Preservation Office (GA SHPO) survey guidelines. A literature review and archival research were conducted to develop a historic context in which to make recommendations of NRHP eligibility for the inventoried resources or sites and for the preparation of a technical report. Monthly reports and phone meetings were also part of the project’s tasks and deliverables.

The architectural investigation and background research were conducted October 18- November 5, 2021, by Stacey L. Griffin, Architectural Historian. The archeological survey was completed October 19-28, 2021, by Jelane M. Wallace, Archaeologist and Field Technicians Jessica Flint and Rachel Westfall. Bigman Geophysical, LLC (Bigman Geophysical). Completed the Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) survey October 28-29, 2021. CHG conducted research via online searches, assessed the records of the Georgia Archaeological Site File (GASF) at the University of Georgia, performed record searches at Augusta University’s Reese Library Special Collections, Augusta-Richmond County Public Library (ARCPL) and Georgia Heritage Room, and Richmond County Clerk of Superior Court, and reviewed project information provided by CDM Smith, the Augusta-Richmond County Land Acquisition Office, and the USACE. CHG also spoke with several descendants of the family who last privately owned the Rosedale Dam property.  

Located in west Augusta, the architectural survey area encompasses a block of 28 land parcels bound by Gordon Highway/Highway 78 to the north, I-520/Bobby Jones Expressway to the west, Milledgeville Road to the south, and by North Leg Road to the east. The center parcel contains Rosedale Dam and Pond on Rocky Creek. The area surrounding the dam and pond is wooded, with residences or unimproved lots located along the north and south sides of Milledgeville Road and commercial properties facing Gordon Highway and North Leg Road. The architectural survey included taking digital photographs of the resources and assessing any structures over 40 years of age. Defined as historic properties by their age, these cultural resources were evaluated for National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) eligibility.  

Background research revealed the Rosedale Dam site was initially part of a 200-ac. Tract recorded in the Richmond County land records of 1777. The central portion of the 200-ac. tract, became the future site of the Rosedale Dam and Pond and remained intact after several land sales, resulting in the 128-ac. purchased by the Harrison family in 1947, inclusive of the dam. Divided into nine parcels by Floyd M. Harrison, members of the Harrison family built homes encircling the pond and dam. Family members began to sell their individual properties beginning in 1987, and Augusta-Richmond County acquired the parcels inclusive of the dam, retention pond, and access lot off Milledgeville Road in 2020. Seven (7) structures over 40 years of age were identified during the survey: 3430, 3437, 3444, 3456, 3461, 3475 Milledgeville Road and 2064 Gordon Highway. Two are commercial businesses and five are residences. None were recommended as eligible for listing in the NRHP under any criteria due to lack of historical or architectural significance.  

The archaeological portion included pedestrian survey, metal detecting, and shovel testing, all conducted along staggered transects spaced at 20-meter intervals. A GPR investigation was also conducted within one of the archaeological sites. Artifact analysis and documentation were conducted in the field for the documentation of sites and isolated find. The previously recorded Rosedale Dam (9RI1099) archaeological site was revisited, and four (4) additional archaeological sites and one (1) isolated find were newly recorded and evaluated for inclusion on the NRHP as part of the archaeological investigations.  

The four (4) newly recorded archaeological sites are recommended as ineligible for inclusion on the NRHP due to disturbance and/or a lack of further research potential. Site 9RI1208, Hutto-Harrison Scatter, is a multicomponent site consisting of mainly twentieth century historic domestic and agricultural artifacts, features, and structures, as well as a limited prehistoric lithic component. Site 9RI1209, Rental House Scatter, is an historic site with domestic artifacts and features associated with a residential building foundation dating to the early to mid-twentieth century. Site 9RI1210, Concrete Barn Foundation, represents an historic concrete barn/stable foundation and related agricultural and domestic artifacts dating to the early to mid-twentieth century. Site 9RI1211 is a prehistoric lithic artifact scatter with no temporally diagnostic features. The isolated find (IF-1) consisted of a single historic artifact and thus did not meet the minimum requirements for recordation as a site.  

Upon completion of the survey and evaluation of the resources within the larger setting and context, CHG does not recommend any of the resources or sites as NRHP eligible under any criteria. All resources and sites have no historic or architectural significance and lack further research potential.  

Project deliverables include a hard copy and electronic versions of the final report, GASF archaeological site forms, and digital photographs from the architectural survey were submitted in DNG-TIFF- and JPG formats with photo keys and photo logs on DVD.