Phase I Archaeological Survey of the Atlanta Beltline Southwest Corridor, Fulton County, Georgia

Between September 16 and September 24, 2013, Edwards‑Pitman Environmental, Inc. (EPEI) conducted a Phase I archaeological survey of the proposed Atlanta BeltLine Southwest Corridor in Fulton County, Georgia (Georgia Department of Transportation [GDOT] Project No.CSSTP‑0009‑00[396], P.I. No. 0009396, HP No.130926‑002). All work was completed under a contract with Perkins+Will, Inc. of Atlanta, Georgia. There are plans to construct a 14‑foot wide multi‑use concrete trail from Lena Street to University Avenue in southwest Atlanta. Fieldwork included visual inspection, systematic shovel testing, and metal detecting, and resulted in a revisit to previously recorded site 9FU79, the identification of four newly recorded archaeological sites, and the archaeological evaluation of the historic railway corridor along which the trail will be built.

Review prior to fieldwork included examination of historic documentation from a variety of sources and records of previous archaeological investigations housed at the Georgia Archaeological Site File (GASF). A portion of previously recorded site 9FU79, formerly described as a ACivil War Period military site@ (Bowen and Carnes 1977:97), is located within the survey area and was reevaluated during the course of this investigation and found to be destroyed. However, a fresh look at previous records and artifacts prompted a renewed site interpretation, in which the site has been evaluated within a broader context of the history of the Atlanta Campaign, and it is now thought most likely to represent a Union siege line position and/or a campsite.

Newly recorded archaeological sites include 9FU588, 9FU589, 9FU590, and 9FU591. Site 9FU588 is a twentieth century historic artifact scatter associated with a standing historic church. Portions of the disarticulated remnants of a razed twentieth century residential structure were encountered at 9FU589. Due to survey limits, site boundaries for 9FU588 and 9FU589 were not fully determined. Without complete survey coverage, their eligibility for the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) remains unknown; however, the surveyed portions of these sites are recommended as non‑contributing to site NRHP eligibility under Criterion D due to poor site integrity and a lack of information potential.

A light surface scatter of nineteenth and twentieth century artifacts was found predominantly on the surface at 9FU590, including a Civil War component thought to be related to a former Confederate defensive line. No substantial subterranean deposits or features were identified at 9FU590. As a disturbed, sparse scatter lacking significant information potential, 9FU590 is recommended ineligible for the NRHP under Criterion D. Survey at 9FU591 indicated the presence of a dense fill partially containing displaced twentieth century artifacts; this mixture of historic and modern materials, dissociated from any features, does not offer significant data potential and is recommended ineligible for the NRHP under Criterion D. The Louisville & Nashville (L&N) railroad corridor, which was built during the early twentieth century, is a significant historic feature within the survey area. Based on survey evaluation, it does not offer significant archaeological information contributing to NRHP eligibility under Criterion D, although it is considered eligible under Criteria A and C as determined by the historic resources survey (EPEI 2013).