Burrells Ford and Overflow Road Parklots Rabun County, Georgia

Construction of parking lots in two developing recreation areas has been planned. The Burrells Ford lot will encompass approximately 4,800 square feet; the lot at Overflow Road will be 480 square feet. On April 4, the author and Jim Herd conducted a survey of these areas to ascertain the presence and significance of any observed cultural values. Characterized by white pine, hemlock, basswood, birch and rhododendron, the proposed lots border prime trout streams. As such, both lots have been and remain popular camping and fishing areas. Historically, the general project area has been subjected to logging operations; in 1908, portions of the adjoining rugged mountain country were purchased by the Georgia Power Company as a possible dam site. Of the two, Burrells Ford had experienced the most dramatic land alteration. Adjacent to a bridge installed across. the Chattooga River, portions of the proposed parking lot has been excavated for bait or for garbage disposal. At the time of the survey, several large tents were erected at the entrance .of the lot. A reconnaissance of spoil piles and a lowshouldered bank yielded only such modern debris as beer and coke cans, and garbage. Removal of forest litter at selected locations yielded no significant cultural materials. An old house site evidenced by wire nails, a linked chain and stoneware sherds was observed at the Overflow Road site. Using firerakes, 18 one meter squares were cleaned of forest litter. Wire nails and stoneware sherds were widely but thinly scattered over the lot site. Using a power auger, two 6-inch stratigraphic tests were excavated to a depth of three feet. Rich, dark, softly compacted soil separated by thin sandy clay lenses suggested several periods of flooding. No cultural materials were recovered. As with the Burrells Ford lot, the present site had been excavated for bait or trash purposes. The proposed Burrells Ford and Overflow Road parking lot sites have been modified by campers and sportsmen. No significant cultural resources were observed at either location. No sites which are on or eligible for inclusion in the National Register occur within the project area. The project complies with the Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and subsequent rules and regulations.