Results of a Cultural Resources Survey of Proposed Lumpkin County School Site Lumpkin County, Georgia

The Fulton County Department of Public Works intends to construct a new pumping station and pipeline in order to improve the County's wastewater system. A cultural resources survey was conducted and encountered two archeological sites, designated Field Site (FS) 1 and FS 2. The proposed pumping station is located on a prominent terrace east of the confluence of Big Creek and the Chattahoochee River. The terrace is also the location of a recently abandoned farmhouse and a potentially significant prehistoric site, FS 1. This is a large, multicomponent site that seems to correspond to sites 9Fu4 and 9Fu25, recorded previously. Artifacts were found both on the ground surface and in subsurface tests. The site extends over 250 meters along the terrace crest and artifact deposits are up to 30 cm (1 ft) deep. The density of artifacts, the presence of late prehistoric (ca. AD 1300) pottery, abundant fire-cracked rock, and the depth of cultural material in shovel tests suggest that intact archeological deposits and features may be present. It therefore seems to be eligible for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places, meeting criteria d of 36CFR60.6 (it has the potential for yielding important information about the past). As it appears now, this site will be impacted by construction of the pumping station and pipeline. It may be possible to modify construction plans to avoid the site, or archeological data recovery may be required to mitigate damage to the resource. A second phase of study, testing, is recommended to determine what the precise impacts will be. Until this is undertaken the site must be protected from damage. The second site, FS 2, consists of the ruins of Ivy Mill, located in a privet thicket on a low terrace on the west side of Big Creek. The mill was built as a woolen mill in the 1840s, and was part of Roswell Manufacturing Company. The main ruins of the structure are within the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area and not in the project area. However, the tail race and stone features at its end possibly are within the construction easement corridor as shown on the maps provided by Jordan, Jones & Goulding. It seems that the tailrace can be avoided. A twentieth century farmstead consisting of a frame house and barn are also in the survey area. The barn is of relatively recent construction, but the house appears to date to the 1920s or 1930s. It represents a common style of vernacular housing and has been remodeled. It will be demolished in order to build the proposed Riverside Road Pumping Station, but it does not appear to qualify for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places.