Phase I/II Archaeological investigations at Villa Ospo, The Small Dorm, Crane Cottage, and Cherokee cottage, Jekyll Island historic district.

TRC conducted a combined Phase I survey and Phase II testing project on four tracts inside the Jekyll Island Historic District (ca. 1886-1945) in advance of proposed landscape, parking lot, and roadway improvements. In addition, a permanent grid system was established for the entire district in order to facilitate future archaeological investigations. The properties surrounding four standing structures, including Villa Ospo, the Small Dorm, Crane Cottage, and Cherokee Cottage, were investigated for below-ground cultural resources. The entire district has been reported as a single site (9GN224). For the purposes of this project, each study property is treated as a separate focus of site 9GN224. Recommendations, based on the National Register of Historic Places guidelines (36 CFR Part 60), are made for each of the four foci: Villa Ospo, the Small Dorm, Crane Cottage, and Cherokee Cottage. Each site contains both Jekyll Island Club era (ca. 1886-1945) and prehistoric components. Archaeological work at Villa Ospo revealed a scattered, disturbed club era horizon. Intense, destructive landscaping has redeposited most of the historic artifacts on the tract. The prehistoric component, however, appears to be at least partly intact. Late Woodland ceramic artifacts were recovered from deep contexts. Villa Ospo is recommended for preservation in place or data recovery, based on Criterion D of the NRHP guidelines. The Small Dorm tract has been extremely disturbed and lacks the potential to provide significant archaeological information. This club era and Late Woodland site is recommended ineligible for the NRHP under Criterion D. No further archaeological work is needed. Club era and Middle Woodland artifacts were recovered from Crane Cottage. A relatively undisturbed shell feature was recovered from a 3 x 3 foot test unit. Further, archaeological work at this focus has the potential to yield relevant archaeological data that may illuminate local prehistory. Crane Cottage is recommended for preservation in place or data recovery, based on Criterion D of the NRHP guidelines. Of the four study properties, Cherokee Cottage represents the greatest potential to answer archaeological questions about Woodland settlement on the southern Georgia coast. In addition to scattered club era deposits, intact, undisturbed prehistoric artifacts and features were recovered in test unit excavations. Based on Criterion D of the NRHP guidelines, this focus is recommended for preservation in place or data recovery.