Phase I Cultural Resources Survey and Phase II Testing of the Proposed Hamilton Mill Business Park Site Gwinnett County, Georgia

During the period of February 13 through 20,2002, R.S. Webb & Associates conducted a cultural resources survey of the proposed 71.2 hectares [ha (176-acre)] Hamilton Mill Business Park Site in Gwinnett County, Georgia. Phase II testing was conducted on one of the sites (9GW525) recorded during the survey from March 27 though 29,2002. The studies were conducted to locate and identify cultural resources within the project area, and to assess resource significance based on National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) criteria (36 CPR Part 60.4). The project was performed in compliance with Section 106 (revised 2001) of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended 2000. The cultural resources survey involved a literature review, an intensive field survey, and a visual inspection of the area to identify any historic structures or features located within the area of potential effects (APE). The APE was set at 100 meters (328 feet) beyond the project boundaries, and was based on topography, vegetation and modern development surrounding the project area. Phase II testing included additional archival research and the excavation of test units to clearly assess the NRHP eligibility of Site 9GW525. During the literature review, state and county records, maps and documents were examined to determine if previously recorded archeological sites/historic structures were located within or adjacent to the project area. Using surface and subsurface techniques, the field survey was conducted to identify and record cultural resources within the study area. Visual inspection of the APE to identify historic structures complemented the intensive archeological survey. A historic resource evaluation was conducted on a dam in the southwest portion of the project area. For the Phase II testing, a title search was conducted to identify the possible owners of Site 9GW525 and census data was reviewed to determine the occupation of the owners. A local historian was consulted regarding the history of the project vicinity. During the fieldwork, two, 2 by 2-meter test units were excavated to assess the potential for intact features and midden deposits, and to refine the dates of site occupation. Literature Review: No previously recorded archeological sites or historic resources are located within the project area. The closest previously recorded archeological sites are approximately 1.6 kilometers (km) from the project boundaries. The closest recorded historic structure is 1.1 km north of the project area and the closest NRHP-listed properties are approximately 1.2 km west of the project area in downtown Buford. Archeological Field Survey: Thirteen archeological sites and three isolated finds (IF) were recorded during the current study (Sites 9GW520 through 9GW532, IF-1, IF-2 and IF-3; Table I). Components represented include unknown prehistoric, Late Archaic, Woodland/Mississippian, and middle 19th -middle 20th century. Site 9GW525 appears to be the remains of a late 19th/early 20th century structure with an undisturbed artifact midden and a hand-dug well. Artifacts from the site (hotel china), suggest that the property was a hotel or road house. The remaining sites include low density lithic, lithic and ceramic, and historic artifact scatters. Phase II Testing of Site 9GW525: Archival data could not confirm the exact owner/inhabitant of Site 9GW525 during the period of historic occupation. No data in the deeds specifically identified the site location. No association was found to link the site to a rural business. Fieldwork and artifact analysis identified a partially intact late 19th/early 20th century tenant house/farm with a sheet midden in the area of the house and well. Other than recovery of the hotel china, there was no further indication that the site was the location of a commercial venture. Evaluation of the Dam: The dam in the southwest portion of the project area was extensively photographed and documented. The dam is constructed of formed concrete. A small concrete block building is located on the west bank, and appears to have been a generating station. Local residents indicated that the dam was between 40 and 80 years old. Archival data confirmed that the structure was not a historic resource. The dam and pond are not visible on the 1938 aerial photograph or the 1957 Gwinnett County Highway Map, indicating that the area had not been impounded prior to 1957. Aerial photographs from 1960 show the pond. Based on this evidence, the pond and dam were determined to be less than 50 years old, and therefore not a historic resource under state and federal regulations. Viewshed Survey: Other than the previously mentioned dam site, no standing structures, historic or modem, were observed in the project area or within the APE. The adjacent outparcels have been graded for construction and landscaping, and there is a ca. 2001 Office Depot building in the central part of the tract. The surrounding area is a mixture of modem businesses, new roadways, graded areas and densely wooded tracts. Sites 9GW520 through 9GW524, 9GW526 though 9GW532, and IF-1, IF-2, and IF-3 are recommended ineligible for the NRHP. The dam is not a historic resource. No further work is warranted at these locations. Based on testing results, Site 9GW525 is recommended ineligible for the NRHP. The site has an intact foundation, a late 19th/early 20th century artifact midden and a hand-dug well. Archival data and fieldwork did not confirm that the site was a business establishment and therefore, a unique resource for the area. The site is a late 19th/early 20th century farmstead, a site type that has been frequently studied. It is unlikely that additional significant archival and archeological data would be gathered with further investigation of this site. No further work is recommended at this site. Given the findings of the cultural resources survey and testing, clearance is recommended for the development of the Hamilton Mill Business Park.