A Phase I Archaeological Resources Survey of the State Route (SR) 9/Dahlonega Highway at County Road (CR) 3705/AC Smith Road Improvements, Forsyth County, Georgia.

In June of 2020, Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc. (VHB) conducted a Phase I archaeological resources survey of a proposed Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) roadway improvement to the intersection of State Route (SR) 9/Dahlonega Highway and County Road (CR) 3705/AC Smith Road in Forsyth County, Georgia, approximately 0.38 miles (0.61 kilometers [km]) east of Silver City, Georgia. The proposed project, identified as PI No. 0016348, would replace the existing “T” intersection at this location, enhancing safety and reducing crash frequency and severity, by installing a roundabout at the aforementioned intersection. SR 9/Dahlonega Highway is a two-lane roadway with 12- foot (ft) (3.66-meter [m]) travel lanes, and 2-ft (0.61-m) paved shoulders. The facility has a functional classification of a major collector and a posted speed limit of 45 miles per hour (mph). CR 3705/AC Smith Road is also a two-lane roadway with12-ft (3.66-m) travel lanes and 2-ft (0.61-m) paved shoulders. The facility has a functional classification of a local road and street with a posted speed limit of 50 mph. The current right-of-way (ROW) of both CR 3705/AC Smith Road and SR 9/Dahlonega Highway varies between 75 ft (22.9 m) and 160 ft (48.8 m) in order to accommodate the existing “T” intersection.

As the project is currently in the concept phase of development, an Environmental Survey Boundary (ESB) was considered as the survey area. The dimensions of the ESB were determined prior to fieldwork by the design team and were intended to encompass an area large enough to capture any potential variations in project design work. The final design for the intersection improvements are anticipated to be smaller in size than the dimensions of the project ESB. The ESB extends approximately 1270 ft (387 m) along CR 3705/AC Smith Road and approximately 2260 ft (688 m) along SR 9/Dahlonega Highway. The width of the project ESB is approximately 400 ft (122 m). The project ESB totals approximately 30.8 acres (ac) (12.46 hectares [ha]) in size.

A review of the Georgia’s Natural, Archaeological, and Historic Resources GIS (GHNAHRGIS) database revealed one previously recorded site (9FO604) within a 1-km radius of the project ESB (Figure 9). No previously recorded archaeological surveys intersect with the current project ESB. Site 9FO604 is a nineteenth to twentieth century historic artifact scatter of unknown National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) eligibility, located on approximately .7 m west of the limit of the project ESB.

During the course of the archaeological investigation, a total of 145 shovel tests were excavated within the project ESB. A total of 143 shovel tests were negative for cultural material and features; 2 shovel tests were positive for historic materials. A total of 23 shovel tests could not be excavated due to conditions such as paved surfaces, sloping conditions, and standing structures. These tests were recorded as “No Dig” and were subjected to visual inspection in lieu of subsurface testing. As a result of survey efforts, one new archaeological site (9FO609) was recorded.

Site 9FO609 consists of a mid-twentieth century homestead and an associated low-density historic artifact scatter. The site is situated approximately 275 m west of the intersection of SR 9/Dahlonega Highway and CR 3705/AC Smith Road. Site 9FO609 was identified through the recovery of four artifacts from two positive shovel tests, and the observation of three above-ground archaeological features. Feature 1 consists of an artificially leveled earthen foundation pad and sparse amounts of associated brick and mortar. Feature 2 consists of a ruinous historic wooden outbuilding located adjacent to Feature 3, a standing historic barn. Current environmental conditions within the newly recorded archaeological site consist of overgrown grass with dense patches of shrubs and weeds. The total depths and stratigraphy of the shovel tests conducted within site 9FO609 were generally shallow. A typical shovel test within the site limits consisted of 0-5 cmbs brown (10 YR 4/3) sandy clay loam, underlain by 5-15 cmbs red (2.5 YR 5/6) clay subsoil. Identified artifacts include two fragments of clear flat glass and two fragments of highly corroded iron (possibly nails). Due to the limits of the project ESB, the site could not be fully delineated to the west or south.

The earthen foundation pad (Feature 1) measures 14 m east to west by 12 m south to north. The associated brick debris are located just east of the foundation pad. No intact foundational piers or other structural features were observed. The lack of substantial building debris within the site suggests that after the structure was razed, the surrounding area was cleared. The ruinous outbuilding (Feature 2) consists of a small wood framed structure with sheet metal roofing. The structure is visible in historic aerial imagery dated as early as 1958 (USGS 1958). The metal roof of the outbuilding has begun to collapse, and the southern wall is no longer extant. The historic barn labelled as Feature 3, while still standing, is in poor condition and is not currently being utilized. Positive shovel tests were located south of Feature 1, and north of Feature 2. Since the remains of the residential structure and outbuilding are poorly preserved, and the sparse associated artifact assemblage is lacking in diagnostic materials, the portion of site 9FO609 within the project ESB lacks integrity of design, materials and workmanship. As the site in its current state cannot answer questions relevant to mid-twentieth century farmsteading, it lacks integrity and significant data potential under Criterion D of the NRHP. Feature 3 was evaluated by a separate Historic Resources Survey Report (HRSR) completed for PI No. 0016348 and was determined to be ineligible for the NRHP under Criteria A and C (Crawford 2020).

Since the site could not be fully delineated, the overall NRHP eligibility for site 9FO609 should be considered unknown under Criterion D. As additional portions of the site may exist beyond the limits of the project ESB, the unknown area of the site should be considered an Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA). Placement of Orange Barrier Fencing (OBF) will protect the unknown areas of the site during project implementation. OBF placement will be determined at a later date when design work has sufficiently progressed.