A Phase I Cultural Resources Survey for the Proposed Construction of Four Chicken Houses (HP-140922-001) in Berrien County, Georgia

On October 27–28, 2014, Panamerican Consultants, Inc. (PCI) of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, under contract with ASA Engineering and Surveying, Inc. of Valdosta, Georgia, conducted a Phase I cultural resources survey for the proposed construction of four chicken houses at 81 Drawdy Road, Lenox, Georgia, in compliance with federal and state regulations. This survey was done to meet the requirements of Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act in order to locate, identify, and record prehistoric and historic properties within the APE. Fieldwork was performed by Daniel R. Turner, RPA, under the supervision of the Principal Investigator, Steven M. Meredith, RPA. The lead federal agency is the USDA Farm Service Agency. The Area of Potential Effect (APE) for the proposed construction includes the area of direct effect where the project will incur ground disturbances, such as the location of the chicken houses and any extensions to existing access roads. A visual APE of the immediate area was also established to assess indirect effects on nearby historical properties. The visual APE is determined by the surrounding topography and intervening vegetation and includes only those structures 50 years or older within view of the proposed construction. Due to the dense treeline to the north, west, and south of the APE, the viewshed of the proposed construction is limited to structures along Drawdy Road and Coy Hancock Road to the east. The area of the proposed construction lies between Gum Branch and an unnamed drainage, both southern-trending tributaries of New River, which forms part of the boundary between Berrien and Cook counties roughly 0.5 mi (0.8 km) to the southwest. The property has undergone some disturbances from silvicultural and agricultural activities, particularly where heavy machinery and erosion have altered upper soil strata. Earlier in the year, clear cutting of planted pines across the property resulted in low pushpiles, heavy equipment tracks and grading, mixing and redeposition of upper soil strata, depressions from treefalls, and controlled burning of large brush piles. The local landowner and a representative of Sanderson Farms were consulted during the field survey to verify permission and placement of shovel testing within the expected area of impact. The survey area is found on the 1973 Lenox, Georgia, USGS 7.5-minute topographic quadrangle. As a result of the survey, no archaeological resources were identified within the project area. Two historical structures on Drawdy Road were identified within the viewshed of the proposed construction. Both were determined ineligible for listing to the NRHP due to their lack of individual architectural significance, modern additions, and/or loss of materials resulting in lack of integrity. The survey concludes that no significant cultural resources will be affected by the proposed construction of four chicken houses at 81 Drawdy Road, Lenox, Georgia.