Results of a Limited Archaeological Reconnaissance of the Parrish House Site, Haralson Mill Historic District, Rockdale County, Georgia

A limited archaeological field reconnaissance of Parrish House was conducted on July 25, 1994 as part of the preparation of a historic preservation plan for the structure. The purposes of the field reconnaissance were to 1) provide preliminary information on the nature of archaeological deposits associated with the Parrish House that lie above the normal pool level for the proposed Big Haynes Creek Reservoir, and 2) provide recommendations for the future preservation or investigation of such deposits and structures. The field methods used during the field investigation consisted of visual inspection by pedestrian walkover and subsurface examination through the placement of shovel test pits. Areas of the site examined by subsurface testing were selected based upon observations made during the visual inspection. Three areas were chosen for subsurface investigation based upon the presence of structural remains or lack of any disturbances to the ground surface. Two of areas, located to the west and northwest of the Parrish house, were shovel tested; however, a third area, situated immediately to the south of the house, was not tested due to the limited time available for the investigation. As a result of the field investigation, intact archaeological deposits attributable to mid nineteenth-century and twentieth-century activities were identified at the Parrish House. An intensive Phase I survey of the Parrish House site is recommended. The data gathered from a Phase I survey would enhance interpretation of the house as an historic site and facilitate management of the archaeological resources.