Phase I Cultural Resources Survey and Cemetery Delineation, North Floyd Industrial Park

On 13 through 17 October and 14 December 2008, Bockington and Associates, Inc. completed a Phase I cultural resources survey and evaluation of the North Floyd Industrial Park tract in Floyd County, Georgia. Field survey involved visual examination, excavation of screened shovel tests at 30-meter (m) ( 100 foot) intervals, and delineation of the adjacent Salmon/Levett Gardens emetery. The project was carried out in compliance ith Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation ct (per 36 CFR Part 800, as amended through 2004) y personnel qualified under 36 CFR Part 61. The Phase Survey was conducted across the entire project tract, located northeast of the intersection of Highway 53 and Highway 140. The proposed project is comprised of 379 acres, measuring 2.6 km ( 1.6 mi) east to west and 1.6 km (one mi) north to south, and falls primarily within active agricultural fields and a section of a golf course. This project is intended to satisfy the Savannah District, US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and Georgia State Historic Preservation Office (Department of Natural History, Historic Preservation Division [HPD]) requirements for Section 404 Clean Water Act permitting; identifies and documents archaeological resources within the property boundaries; identifies and documents historic architectural resources within the project tract, adjacent properties, and project viewshed; and assesses eligibility for inclusion of encountered archaeological and architectural resources on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) according to the criteria set forth by 36 CFR Part 63. Background research conducted at the Georgia Archaeological Site Files ( GASF) revealed one previously recorded archaeological site within the project tract (9FL413) and no other archaeological sites within a 1.6 km (1.0 mile) radius of the project tract. Site 9FL413 is comprised of the remnants of a twentieth century homestead determined to be ineligible for the NRHP. We agree with the original recommendation that the site be considered ineligible for inclusion in the NRHP. A search of the files at HPD indicated no previously recorded architectural resources are located within the project APE. Intensive archaeological survey consisted of 1,026 screened shovel tests spaced at 30-meter (100ft) intervals along 132 transects placed throughout the tract according to landforms, wetlands, and disturbance patterns. In areas where the slope exceeded 20 percent, visual inspection was utilized to supplement shovel tests. Through this survey, we identified two previously unknown archaeological sites (9FL459 and 9FL460) and one isolated find. Both Sites 9FL459 and 9FL460 are comprised of early to mid-twentieth century architectural debris and artifact scatters. Both sites are heavily disturbed and we recommend that Sites 9FL459 and 9FL460 be considered ineligible for inclusion in the NRHP. Isolate 1 is a single lithic flake; we recommend that Isolate 1 be considered ineligible for inclusion in the NRHP. During the delineation of the Salmon/Levett Gardens Cemetery, the extent and major features of the cemetery were mapped in relation to Highway 53. The utilization of a handheld global positioning system (GPS) unit confirmed that the cemetery's location coincides with its mapped position on United States Geologic Survey (USGS) maps of the Shannon and Plainville quadrangles for Georgia. Intensive architectural resources survey consisted of visual and pedestrian inspection of resources within the project APE. The APE for historic architectural resources includes those located on the project tract and adjacent properties, as well as those that may fall within the project viewshed. During the survey, the project historian recorded 17 previously unrecorded historic architectural resources (Resources FL-1 through FL- 17) that are located within the project APE. Of the 17 architectural resources recorded during the survey, we recommend three (3) as NRHP eligible (Resources FL-3, FL-4, and FL-10) . Resources FL-3 and FL-10 are circa 1959 ranch houses located on the project tract. We recommend avoidance of these NRHP eligible resources by the proposed undertaking. If avoidance is not possible, or not feasible, we recommend the implementation of mitigation options developed in consultation with the USACE and HPD, specifically the recordation of these resources utilizing medium format photography or a suitable digital equivalent. Resource FL-4, the Salmon Cemetery, is adjacent to the project tract and is located within the project viewshed. We recommend the implementation of mitigation options developed in consultation with the USACE and HPD to minimize any potential effects to Resource FL-4; these include grading and landscaping of the proposed project such that all aspects of the facility, including the building, infrastructure, driveways, parking areas, and parked vehicles will be screened from the viewshed of Salmon Cemetery. Beyond these results, we find no other cultural resources issues of concern and recommend that the undertaking be allowed to proceed.