Preliminary Archaeological Investigations at Andalusia Farm (9BL320), Milledgeville, Baldwin County, Georgia

From June 11 to June 14, 2019, Southern Research, Historic Preservation Consultants, Inc. conducted preliminary archaeological investigations at Andalusia Farm (9BL320), the home of celebrated author Flannery O'Connor (1925-1964). The Georgia Environmental Policy Act (GEPA) (OCGA 12-16-1) requires state agencies and institutions to evaluate the effects of any undertaking on the environment, which includes cultural resources, and to mitigate any effects that may be adverse. Additionally, the State Agency Historic Property Stewardship Program (OCGA 12-3-55) requires that "historic properties under the jurisdiction of the agency are to be manage and maintained in a way that considers the preservation of their historic, archeological, architectural, and cultural values." A 2004 records review and reconnaissance outlined appropriate stewardship goals and methods for existing and future GCSU properties (Elliott 2004). Adherence to both the letter and spirit of GEPA is ethical and mandated by law. In 2016, a Phase One Preservation Plan was prepared in which the structures and landscape of Andalusia Farm were evaluated (Lord Aeck Sargent et al. 2016). The study recommended reconstruction of both the Nail House and the original Aviary "due to the significance of the Nail House and its associations with Flannery O'Connor, her birds, and the overall atmosphere of the site" (Lord Aeck Sargent et al. 2016:137). Using the Preservation Plan as a guide, two primary goals of this archaeological investigation were outlined: 1) locate evidence of the original Aviary and 2) determine whether intact archaeological remnants of the Nail House were present. Andalusia Farm was a working agricultural operation dating to before the Civil War. While the sequence of construction and renovation of the extant buildings on the property is fairly well known, some aspects of the antebellum occupation are not. Therefore, a secondary goal of the current work was to provide an overall assessment of the nature of archaeological deposits in the rear of the Main House, specifically whether there are significant antebellum deposits. To achieve these goals, surface examination, metal detection, close-interval shovel testing, and excavation of test units were performed. Artifacts potentially related to the Aviary (primarily pieces of small-gauge wire) were observed during excavation, but no postholes or other features associated with the Aviary were found. A test unit located within the footprint of the Nail House yielded what appear to articulated boards. A small number of artifacts recovered may date to the antebellum occupation of the property, but no features, such as a sheet midden, were found. Of additional interest is the identification of a light Vinings Phase (Early Mississippian) component.