A Historical and Archaeological Survey - the Bedford - Pine Urban Redevelopment Area. Our Project No. Es-736.

The purpose of this project was to identify and assess the historical and archaeological resources present within the 78 acre Bedford-Pine Urban Redevelopment Area, and was conducted at the request of the Atlanta Housing Authority. Authorization to proceed with the project was received on November 2, 1976, and research and fieldwork began on the same day.

The project scope of work statement required that both historical research and archaeological survey be conducted on the study tract in order to meet the project goals. The historical research was conducted in the archives and library holdings of the Atlanta Historical Society, as well as through an interview with Mr. Franklin Garrett of the Society. It was soon discovered that a large number of applicable historical maps were available, and it was possible to document the Bedford-Pine neighborhood from its beginnings to the demolition phase through those maps. Many of the more important maps discovered during the historical research effort are reproduced in the report that follows. The historical research effort also revealed that there was very little published information that had a direct bearing on the Bedford-Pine neighborhood. The results of the historical research are presented in Chapter III.

The archaeological survey was conducted over the 78 acre study tract through using a combination of pedestrian and subsurface survey techniques. The entire study tract was first completely covered using pedestrian survey techniques, and subsurface techniques were then applied to two small areas targeted on the basis of the survey. The results of the survey, as well as a more thorough accounting of the methodology applied, will be presented in Chapter IV.

Almost all of the structures on the study tract had been demolished prior to the archaeological survey. This presented a severe problem in terms of identifying and assessing the archaeological resources present. The ground disturbance attendent to removing the structures and leveling the house lots had erased virtually all of the archaeological resources present on the tract. The demolition phase of the urban redevelopment project had apparently taken place from 1968 to 1970, and was done without the benefit of an historic structures survey. Further discussion of this problem and the adverse impact created is presented in Chapter IV.