A Phase I Archaeological Resources Survey of the County Road 15/Stagecoach Road Bridge Replacement Over Camp Creek, Macon County, Georgia

In May 2018, Vanasse Hangen Brustlin (VHB), Inc. completed a Phase I archaeological resources survey in support of the Georgia Department of Transportation’s (GDOT) proposed bridge replacement along County Road 15 (CR 15)/Stagecoach Road over Camp Creek in Macon County, Georgia (Figures 1 and 2). The bridge (Bridge ID # 193-5006-0) is part of GDOT’s Low Impact Bridge Program (LIBP) which has been developed to provide expedited project delivery for minimal impediment bridge replacement projects. The existing Right-of-Way (ROW) along this section of CR 15/Stagecoach Road is 80 feet (ft) (24 meters [m]) total, or 40 ft (12 m) on either side of the current CR 15/Stagecoach Road centerline. Since the project is in a preliminary concept phase, the Area of Potential Effects (APE) for the current survey has been defined as the total length and width of the Environmental Survey Boundary (ESB). The dimensions of the ESB are determined by the designers prior to survey fieldwork and are intended to capture a large enough area within which variations in project design can occur. The limits of the ESB for this project have been defined as 500 ft (152.4 m) from either end of the existing bridge structure and 75 ft (23 m) on either side of the CR 15/Stagecoach Road centerline. The entire ESB totals an area measuring approximately 1,120 ft (341 m) in length by 150 ft (46 m) in width. The overall ESB encompasses approximately four acres. As the limits of the ESB cover all possible design alternatives, no Expanded Survey Corridor (ESC) is required.

Prior to the start of fieldwork, a review of the Georgia’s Natural, Archaeological, and Historic Resources Geographic Information System (GNAHRGIS) and the Georgia Archaeological Site Files (GASF)  databases was completed. These sources revealed that no previously recorded archaeological sites are located within the ESB. During the course of survey, 25 shovel tests were excavated within the ESB. A further six shovel tests were recorded as “No Dig” due to standing water which prohibited subsurface examination, and in lieu of shovel testing, the surrounding environment was subjected to visual inspection. Soil conditions encountered largely consisted of an initial A horizon of dark brown (10YR 3/3) sand from 0 to 44 centimeters below the surface (cmbs), underlain by pale brown (10YR 6/3) loamy sand from 45 to 60 cmbs, followed by strong brown (7.5YR 5/8) loamy clay at 61 cmbs. No excavated shovel test was positive for cultural material. The pedestrian survey along Transect A identified a single above ground feature partially located within the ESB and recorded as Site 9MA104.

Site 9MA104 was identified through visual inspection along Transect A, west of CR 15/Stagecoach Road. Site 9MA104 represents two above ground features that are consistent with a pair of bridge gravity abutments. Only the north abutment is currently located within the ESB; the south abutment was located during the current survey but found to be located well outside the ESB and was therefore not thoroughly investigated. The abutments are composed of poured cement with adjoining cement wing walls and are the remnant elements of a bridge structure carrying a previous alignment of CR 15/Stagecoach Road over Camp Creek. The site is represented by the remains of two concrete abutments to a former (now razed) free-span bridge across Camp Creek. The abutments were constructed using well known techniques and materials typical to the early twentieth century. As the abutments lack the actual bridge superstructure, the resource does not serve as a good or representative example of this type of construction. Furthermore, the resource lacks integrity in the areas of design, feeling, and association. The portion of 9MA104 within the ESB does not contribute to the resource’s overall NRHP eligibility under Criterion C.

Site 9MA104, was evaluated for its potential to contribute significant information regarding our understanding of the historic period development of Macon County. Since the method and construction of the abutments are fairly well documented and of common early twentieth century design, it is unlikely that further research at the site would produce any new or significant data beyond that which we already have regarding historic bridge types and bridge construction methods. In addition, the removal of the bridge superstructure has impacted the integrity of the resource. The portion of the site that exists within the ESB lacks significant data potential under Criterion D of the NRHP. Since the boundaries of the site extend beyond the limits of the current survey area, the overall NRHP eligibility should be considered unknown. Since the overall NRHP eligibility of the site is unknown, Site 9MA104 should be considered an Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA). This will ensure that no development activities associated with the proposed project will impact unknown areas of the site that are located outside the ESB.