In late March of 2014, a Phase I archeological survey was conducted on the approximately 50‑acre Oakview Crossing tract in Hartwell, Georgia. The City of Hartwell and Oakview Crossing ofHartwell LLC are applying for a federal loan through the USDA's Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant Program (REDGL) for the infrastructure development. This requires compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended, which calls for an assessment of project effects on significant (eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places) cultural properties within the project's area of potential effect. The first step in such compliance is completing a survey to determine if significant archeological sites exist in the area of potential effect.
The survey used a combination of visual inspection of exposed ground surfaces and the excavation of shovel tests as the main survey methods. Ninety‑three negative shovel tests were excavated. The survey located a single prehistoric artifact, a fragment of a projectile point, in an eroded area near the center of the tract. No additional artifacts or archeological sites were found on the property. We conclude that there are no archeological sites eligible for inclusion in the National Register within the area of potential effect for this development and that the project should be granted clearance to proceed.
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