Archaeological Investigations (Shovel Testing) for a Proposed Garden Plot at Officers Quarters Fort McAllister (9BN27), Bryan County

Department of Natural Resources Archaeologists conducted investigations at Ft. McAllister State Historic Park in March and April of 2002 at the proposed location of a small garden. The garden is adjacent to a two story building that had served as the park office, museum, and visitor center. When a new museum and visitor center was constructed, the old building was converted into an officer's quarters exhibit. The garden will contain examples of crops that would have been planted in an 1860's kitchen garden. The building is a ca. 1960's replica of a two-story house that stood nearby when Ft. McAllister was occupied during the Civil War. The original building was damaged by Union shells and subsequently dismantled while the fort was occupied. The existing building is a modern replica and is not eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places at this time (however, it is approaching 50 years of age and may need to be evaluated for eligibility at some future time). Although the building is not currently eligible, it may sit on or adjacent to significant buried cultural deposits related to the plantation era, the military occupation, or other period. The proposed garden area is located at the west end of the old museum building. It is a triangular area bounded on the north by the roadway and on the south and west by a diagonal trench. The archaeological investigations consisted of intensive shovel testing followed by placement of two 1 x 1 meter test units in areas determined by shovel test results. The investigations are described in two attached reports. Artifacts and field notes are currently at the Office of the State Archaeologist, Historic Preservation Division, GaDNR, in Atlanta. The garden lies within the boundary of 9BN27, which includes the earthworks and outlying features related to the fort. The archaeological investigation of the small garden tract provided no additional information about new components or a need to revise site boundaries established by the Southern Research investigations of 1999, so no revised site form is included.