PHASE I ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY FOR THE PROPOSED BRIDGE REPLACEMENT AT SR 1/US 27 OVER FLAT SHOAL CREEK, TROUP COUNTY, GEORGIA

Edwards-Pitman Environmental, Inc. (EPEI) conducted a Phase I archaeological survey under a contract with Infrastructure Consulting & Engineering, PLLC (ICE) for a proposed Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) replacement of the State Route (SR) 1/United States Highway (US) 27 bridge over Flat Shoal Creek in Troup County, Georgia (PI No. 0013941).

There were no design plans at the time of survey, thus the survey area for the proposed project includes all areas within an Environmental Survey Boundary (ESB) provided to EPEI by ICE.

The ESB measures approximately 950 meters (3,117 feet) in length, varies in width from 50 to 130 meters (164 to 427 feet), and is designed specifically to encompass all areas of possible/foreseeable ground disturbance as a result of the current project. Existing and proposed right-of-way (ROW) are unknown at this time. Due to access difficulties on a tract located on the south side of SR 1 and west of Flat Shoal Creek, the ESB at the western project terminus was extended on only the south side of SR 1 in order to encompass the entire length of that tract. This extension of the ESB is comprised of an area measuring 160 meters (525 feet) in length and 35 meters (115 feet) in width and is reflected on all maps of the archaeological survey area. When design is complete, the project area of potential effect (APE) will likely be smaller than the ESB that is shown.

Prior to the archaeological survey, background research was conducted that included a review of historic maps and aerial photographs at the University of Georgia (UGA) Map Library, the Georgia Archaeological Site File (GASF), and Georgia’s Natural, Archaeological, and Historic Resources Geographic Information System (GNAHRGIS) database. Results of the research show that there are one previously conducted survey and one previously recorded archaeological site (9TP1081, the Troup Factory) recorded within a 1-kilometer (.62-mile) radius; both the survey and the site are partially within the survey area of this project.

The objective of the archaeological survey was to locate archaeological resources potentially affected by the project and to evaluate them in accordance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA). Fieldwork for the Phase I survey was conducted by EPEI on March 27-30 and April 30, 2018. This work resulted in the identification of five new archaeological sites (9TP1089, 9TP1090, 9TP1091, 9TP1092, and 9TP1093) and one isolated find [IF] (IF 1), while a revisit was made to previously recorded site 9TP1081.

Previously recorded site 9TP1081 represents the remains of the Troup Factory, a nineteenth and early twentieth century mill; the site has been previously recommended as eligible for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) under Criterion A, and EPEI concurs with that recommendation. In addition, EPEI recommends site 9TP1081 as eligible for inclusion on the NRHP under Criterion D. It is recommended that site 9TP1081 be avoided and protected by the establishment of an Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA) marked with orange barrier fencing (OBF) in order to prevent inadvertent impacts from the proposed project.

Two of the newly identified sites are comprised only of structural remains and represent an early twentieth century bridge across Flat Shoal Creek (9TP1092) and a prior road alignment through the area and bridge over Perry Creek (9TP1093); EPEI recommends both of these sites as ineligible for inclusion on the NRHP under Criterion D, and no further archaeological work is recommended at these sites. Two of the remaining sites (9TP1089 and 9TP1091) consist of structural remains and/or artifacts that represent the nineteenth to twentieth century use and occupation of the area, and EPEI recommends these sites as ineligible for inclusion on the NRHP under Criterion D. No further archaeological work is recommended at these sites. The final newly identified site, 9TP1090, consists of artifacts that represent the nineteenth to twentieth century occupation of the area. Although the portion of the site within the survey area does not appear to exhibit significant potential for information, 9TP1090 could not be fully delineated due to survey limits, and the eligibility of 9TP1090 for the NRHP under Criterion D is recommended as unknown. It is recommended that the unknown portion of 9TP1090 be protected by the establishment of an ESA marked with OBF in order to prevent inadvertent impacts from the proposed project.

IF 1, which consists of a single artifact, does not meet the definition of a site and is not evaluated for inclusion on the NRHP; no additional archaeological work at IF 1 is recommended.