Archeological Survey of the Newton Bridge Road Parcels, Athens-Clarke County Greenspace Program

In July and August of 2008 Southeastern Archeological Services conducted a Phase I archeological survey of three parcels of land (Tax Parcels 10-4-0020, I0-4-002A, 10-2-005) near the crossing of Newton Bridge Road over the North Oconee River on the north side of Athens-Clarke County. The contiguous parcels, which total 10.1 ha (25.0 ac), are composed mostly of hilly, wooded land, but also include sections of river floodplain. A former trailer park, located on a ridge top, occupies the northern third of the combined project area. Archival research indicated that no houses, mills or structures had existed on the property since the late nineteenth century. Given this and the topography of the land, it was unlikely that houses ever existed. Research showed that in the 1890s Newtons Bridge and Newtons Bridge Road were about 600 m (1,970 11) to the southeast of the present alignment. This original Newtons Bridge (as it was labeled in the 1890s) was at the extreme southern end of our project area, and the road leading north from it passed through our project area. By 1927 the road and bridge had been significantly realigned, to near its present location. The current bridge was built in 1976, just to the west of the ca. 1920s bridge. Since the project area exhibits very little ground surface exposure, survey relied on the excavation of shovel tests in areas that could contain archeological deposits. We excavated 45 shovel tests and all were sterile. Thus, we discovered no archeological sites in the project area. We saw no trace of the original, pre-1927 Newtons Bridge in the project tract. There are stone and concrete remnants of the bridge on the other (south) side of the river, but nothing on the north side. We also saw no trace of the old (pre-1927) Newton Bridge Road and conclude that it has been obscured by alluviation in the floodplain and ground disturbing activities in the uplands. Remnants of the second Newton Bridge (adjacent to the present concrete bridge) exist as a set of wood pilings in the river bed, but there is virtually no trace of this bridge or the road leading from it in the project tract. In regard to archeological resources, since we found no archeological sites and no visible evidence of the pre-1927 Newtons Bridge or Newton Bridge Road, we conclude that the project area does not contain significant archeological resources. The existence of two former Newton bridges in the river bed adjacent to the subject tract is of historic interest and could be the basis for historic interpretation of the tract, if so desired.