Cultural Resources Survey for the Proposed Broadmoor Business Community, Gwinnett County, Georgia

An intensive cultural resources survey was carried out for Dial Cordy and Associates, Inc. at the proposed Broadmoor Business Community in Gwinnett County, Georgia. The project was carried out in compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act by personnel qualified under 36 CFR Part 61. The total area surveyed included approximately 248 acres (Figure 1). The project tract was bounded by cut and flagged survey lines in some areas, while other property boundaries follow existing developments. No previously identified historic or prehistoric cultural resources were located within the project area boundaries through background research at the Georgia State Historic Preservation Division nor with the State Site Files database maintained by the Department of Anthropology, University of Georgia. The project area is almost entirely composed of clear cut area with some scattered young pines and hardwoods. Briars, privet, and vines predominate as low undergrowth. Fieldwork was carried out between February 21 and 25,2000. The method of investigation consisted of pedestrian reconnaissance and shovel testing. Shovel test probes (STPs) are 30 cm ( 12 in ) diameter excavated test units placed at 30 meter (100ft) intervals in transects spaced at 30 meters (100ft). The STPs are excavated to 10 cm (4 in) into sterile soil (usually the B horizon). Pedestrian reconnaissance took place in areas with good surface visibility and/or subsurface disturbances. If a site is encountered, the interval between STPs is reduced to 15 meters (50 ft) to better delimit the site boundaries. Two consecutive negative STPs (at 15 m intervals) are required to provide an edge determination to a site boundary. All soils are screened through 1/4 inch mesh hardware cloth. Four (4) archaeological sites {9GW451, 9GW452, 9GW453, and two (2) isolated finds (A-1 and B-1) were identified during the survey: Site 9GW451 included 13 recovered artifacts (mostly quartz and Ridge and Valley chert debitage with one Ridge and Valley chert biface). Only one artifact was collected from a shovel test; nine additional shovel tests were negative. All other artifacts were collected from a dirt road running along a toe slope. Soils in the site area were heavily eroded from clear cutting activities, shovel tests indicate a thin layer of brown loamy sand (0-15 cmbs) overlying red clay subsoil. The high level of disturbance and erosion indicates a lack of potential for intact features and contextual information. Due to the disturbance and the lack of volume and density of artifacts, this site is recommend not eligible for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places. No further investigation of site 9GW451 is recommended. Site 9GW 452 included 36 recovered artifacts (quartz debitage, four quartz biface fragments, and one quartz triangular Woodland projectile point). Most of the artifacts recovered were located on the surface of a logging road; only one of the 16 close interval shovel tests was positive. The surface investigation along the road bed indicates a moderately light surface spatter of quartz along the narrow ridge area. Shovel tests indicate brown to dark brown loamy sand cp-20 cmbs) overlying red clay subsoil. This site has also been heavily impacted by clear cutting activities and erosion leaving no potential for intact cultural feature or contexts. Due to the lack of feature potential and a sparse artifact density this site is recommended not eligible for nomination to the National Register of Historic Place. No further investigation of site 9GW452 is recommended. Site 9GW453 included 16 recovered artifacts (all quartz debitage). All of the artifacts recovered were located on the surface within a bulldozed area; eight close interval shovel tests were negative. Shovel testing in the site area indicates that soils consisted of a thin layer of brown loamy sand (0-5 cmbs) overlying red clay. No diagnostic artifacts were recovered. No evidence of cultural features were encountered. This site appears to be a small, short-term occupation lithic scatter. Due to the lack of diagnostic artifacts or potential for intact cultural remains Site 9GW453 is recommended not eligible for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places. No further investigation of this site is recommended. Site 9GW454 included 5 recovered artifacts (all quartz debitage except for one quartz biface). All artifacts were collected from the surface of an exposed dirt road; all six shovel tests at the site were negative. Soils in the site area were heavily eroded from clear cutting activities, shovel tests indicate a thin layer of brown loamy sand (0-20 cmbs) overlying red clay subsoil. The high level of disturbance and erosion indicates a lack of potential for intact features and contextual information. Due to the disturbance and the lack of volume and density of artifacts, this site is recommended not eligible for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places. No further investigation of site 9GW454 is recommended. The two Isolated finds A-1 and B-1 were both found on the surface. Close interval shovel tests and surface investigations around them found no other artifacts. Isolated find A-1 is one piece of quartz debitage, Isolated find B-1 is a single piece of Ridge and Valley chert retouched flake. These finds are insignificant and no further investigation is recommended. No significant historic structures or other resources were identified within the project tract through background research, nor through field survey. One potentially eligible structure (the Allen Leatherworks) is located within view of the project tract, but outside of it. The circa. 1867 leatherworks factory is located on the south side of Sugar Hill Road, approximately 200 meters (660 ft) from the north edge of the property. No formal evaluation of the Allen Leatherworks has been conducted, but the property does not appear to meet architectural or design criteria for NRHP nomination. It would, however, likely meet the criteria for local historical significance. There is expected to be no adverse effect on this potentially eligible property, since the evelopment would not directly impact the factory, nor does a historic context exist for the resource which might experience visual or aural impacts. No further cultural resource investigations of the proposed Broadmoor Business Community are recommended.