Archaeological site 9PM 1072 was originally recorded in 1996 as a farmstead that contained both nineteenth and early twentieth century materials. It was located on property that had formerly belonged to the Head and Pearson families, who were prominent members of Putnam County in the nineteenth century. The Pearson family has conducted extensive archival research on their family history and this material has been made available to the Forest. Based on the recovery from site 9PM 1072 of a sherd that appeared to date to the mid-nineteenth century, it was believed that this site may be the location of the Pearson Plantation. In May of 2006, the Forest Service conducted test excavations at this site using volunteers through the Passport in Time Program (PIT). These excavations determined that this site actually dated to the early twentieth century and probably represents the remains of a house occupied by a tenant farmer. Although site 9PM 1072 is not the nineteenth century plantation originally believed, it does contain substantial archaeological deposits and is recommended as eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). In addition to the test excavations, volunteers cleaned and brushed out the Head Cemetery (site 9PM 1070), which was then mapped.
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