Phase I Cultural Resources Survey and Assessment of Effects Epic Midstream Rail Rehabilitation Spur Corridor

From April 18 through April 25, 2013, Brockington and Associates, Inc. conducted a Phase I Cultural Resources Survey of the Epic East Terminal rail spur corridor in Savannah, Chatham County, Georgia (see Figure 1.1). This survey was conducted pursuant to Section 404 of the Clean Water Act (permit application number SAS-2013-00067) and in compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (as amended). Brockington conducted the survey for Epic Midstream, LLC while under contract with Resource and Land Consultants, LLC. The project consists of the rehabilitation of a 0.38-mile (0.6-kilometer [km]) long rail spur that extends from the active CSX Railroad corridor to the Epic East Terminal located along Woodcock Road. The survey was conducted to determine if cultural resources are located within the project Area of Potential Effects (APE). For this project the APE consists of the project corridor and the project viewshed. The Cultural Resources Survey consisted of both background research and field survey. Background research focused on documenting previously recorded archaeological and architectural resources within the project APE. Research was conducted at the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Historic Preservation Division (HPD) in Atlanta, the Georgia Archaeological Site File in Athens, and the Georgia Historical Society in Savannah, Georgia. At the HPD, National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) files and the Chatham County survey file were reviewed, to determine if any NRHP eligible, nominated, or listed cultural resources are within or adjacent to the improvement areas. At the Georgia Archaeological Site File, the Chatham County file was reviewed to determine if any previously recorded archaeological sites are located within or near the APE. Previous archaeological reports on investigations in the general vicinity of the project corridor were also reviewed. This data set is also available online through the Georgia Natural, Archaeological, and Historic Resources Geographic Information System (GNAHRGIS). At the Georgia Historical Society, county histories, historic maps, and cemetery records were examined. In addition, Civil War maps and literary sources such as The Official Military Atlas of the Civil War (Davis et al. 2003), were reviewed to determine if any military activity associated with the Civil War took place within the project APE. Background research revealed that there are no previously recorded archaeological sites located within the project corridor. However, there are seven previously recorded sites located within one mile (1.6 km) of the project corridor. These sites are 9CH2, the Deptford Site; 9CH43, the Deptford Burial Mound; 9CH54, the Dulany Site; 9CH378, the Brewton Hill Site; 9CH689, the Fort Jackson Site, 9CH700, Battery Lee; and 9CH1231, Deptford artifact scatter. In addition, there are no previously recorded architectural resources located within the project corridor. While there is one previously recorded architectural resource and one cemetery located within one mile (0.6 km) of the project corridor, they are not within the project viewshed (APE). These resources are the Pine Gardens Historic District and the LePageville Cemetery. Figure 1.2 provides a location map for previously recorded cultural resource located within one mile (1.6 km) of the project corridor. Figure 1.3 provides a location map for newly recorded cultural resource located within one mile (1.6 km) of the project corridor. Table 1.1 provides a list of cultural resources located within one mile (1.6 km) of the project corridor. The archaeological field survey did not identify any archaeological sites located within the project APE. The architectural survey identified two resources within the project APE, Resource 1, the 0.38-mile (0.6-kilometer [km]) long rail spur that had once been part of the World War II era Southeastern Shipbuilding Corporation (SSC) Liberty Shipyard; and Resource 2, the active Atlantic Coastline Railroad (now CSX Transportation) corridor. However, since the closure of the SSC shipyard after the war, the property has been redeveloped and except for the identified rail spurs, there is little evidence of the WWII era shipyard present on the Epic Midstream property or on the adjacent properties. Therefore, Resource 1, the SSC Shipyard Rail Spur, has lost its historic context and is recommended ineligible for the NRHP. However, Resource 2, the Atlantic Coastline Railroad (now CSX Transportation) corridor retains architectural integrity and is still an active railroad corridor. Therefore, Resource 2 is recommended eligible for the NRHP. In addition, the effects the proposed rail spur rehabilitation project would have on NRHP listed, eligible, and potentially eligible cultural resources within or near the project APE was assessed. It is recommended that the proposed project would have no adverse effect on any of these resources. This includes Resource 2, the Atlantic Coastline Railroad (now CSX Transportation) corridor; the Pine Gardens Historic District, the LePageville Cemetery; 9CH2, the Deptford Site; 9CH689, Fort Jackson; 9CH700, Battery Lee; 9CH689, the Brewton Site; and 9CH1231, Deptford artifact scatter.