Archeological Survey of Proposed Water and Sewer Improvements Along Veterans Parkway (SR 17), City of Toccoa, Stephens County, Georgia

The City of Toccoa and Stephens County wish to construct new water and sewer lines and pump stations along a section of Veterans Parkway, also known as SR 17 or the Toccoa Bypass, on the south side of the city. Since federal funding from the Department of Commerce=s Economic Development Administration will be involved, the project must comply 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 (eligible) structures or archeological sites exist in the area of potential effect. In their review of the project, the Georgia State Historic Preservation Officer requested that a Phase I archeological survey of the area of potential be conducted. Southeastern Archeological Services, Inc. conducted this survey of the project corridor in late February and early March of 2014. This report presents the results of that survey.

The area of potential effect, or project area, consists of about 6.19 km (3.84 mi) of pipeline corridor that will be 12.2 m (40 ft) wide and a ca. 0.1 ha (0.2 ac) pump station site. Approximately 75 percent of the corridor closely follows the edge of right‑of‑way for Veterans Parkway and the remainder extends perpendicularly from the highway in two locations. About 41 percent of the corridor will contain two pipelines that will be 3 m (10 ft) apart, while the remaining corridor will contain only one pipeline.

Archival research showed that no archeological sites have been recorded in or close to the project area. Also, a review of maps and aerial photographs showed that possibly three house sites older than 50 years could be located in or near the project corridor. The Veterans Parkway was built on new location in the 1980s, and thus was expected to have few, if any, historic structures along it.

The field survey located three archeological sites, a very sparse prehistoric lithic scatter dating to the Middle Archaic period, a late nineteenth to mid‑twentieth century artifact scatter that probably is associated with a house that has been completely obliterated, and a razed house/farmstead that is marked by a chimney stub, well and a bulldozed pile of structural debris. All three sites have poor integrity and lack research potential, and none have known associations with persons or events important in history. Therefore we recommend that none of the sites meets the criteria for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places and that the project should be granted clearance to proceed.