Phase I Cultural Resource Survey for the Center Point- Swamp Creek Transmission Line, Whitfield County, Georgia

TRC conducted a Phase I cultural resources survey for the proposed Center Point-Swamp Creek transmission line project in Whitfield County, Georgia, south of Dalton, on July 12 and 13, 2001. The project was undertaken for the TVA. The survey included both archaeological and historic structures surveys. The project corridor is 2.1 miles long and 100 feet wide. The archaeological survey involved documentation of all archaeological sites and cultural features within the project corridor. A review of the state site files showed that no previously identified archaeological sites had been reported in the project corridor. No archaeological sites or isolated finds were identified during fieldwork. On July 18, 2001 a historic structures survey of the Area of Potential Effects (APE) for the proposed Center Point power line was conducted by a TRC senior preservation planner. The APE for the proposed project includes the corridor of the power line itself and any area visually connected to it. Field methods for the survey involved driving all of the roadways surrounding the project area. All structures that appeared to be a minimum of 50 years of age were photographed and marked on the USGS quadrangle maps. Structures that were highly deteriorated were excluded, as were structures that were modified beyond recognition of their original form. In all, four historic structures were identified within the APE. It appears that the proposed project will create an adverse effect on three of the four historic structures recommended eligible for the National Register of Historic Places, because of their location near to the proposed transmission line corridor. It is recommended that mitigation measures be developed in coordination with the Georgia State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) to address these adverse effects. As for the remaining recommended-eligible structure, it appears that the proposed project will create no adverse effect on the structure. TRC recommends no further work on this structure.