Cultural Resource Survey and Archeological Testing Proposed Bear Creek Reservoir Newton County, Georgia

A Phase I cultural resources survey and Phase II evaluative testing of the proposed Bear Creek Reservoir Site in Newton County, Georgia was conducted to locate and identify cultural resources within the project area, and to assess the significance of each resource. The project area covers approximately 502 hectares and is located within the East Bear Creek, West Bear Creek, Bear Creek, and Gaithers Branch drainages. The study area is located 11.6 kilometers south of Covington, Georgia.

Forty-eight archeological sites and 17 isolated finds were recorded during the study, including revisits to three previously recorded sites (9NE90, 9NE91, and 9NE93). Thirty-nine of the sites, and all of the isolated finds are recommended ineligible for the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). Six prehistoric sites (9NE154, 9NE156, 9NE158, 9NE183, 9NE186, and 9NE190) were subject to Phase II evaluative testing. Four of these sites (9NE154, 9NE156, 9NE158, and 9NE190) are recommended eligible for the NRHP after testing, and are recommended for Phase III data recovery since they are within the normal pool elevation. Sites 9NE183 and 9NE186 were evaluated and are recommended ineligible for the NRHP after testing. Site 9NE90 was recommended eligible for the NRHP at the survey level, and is recommended for Phase III data recovery. Sites 9NE93 and 9NE191 are historic cemeteries, and are recommended eligible for the NRHP. These two cemeteries are above the normal pool elevation of the reservoir and will be preserved in-place. Sites 9NE150 and 9NE159 are late 19th to early 20th century house sites and are recommended potentially eligible for the NRHP. These two sites are above the normal pool elevation and in-place preservation is recommended.

During the 1999/2000 survey, six historic resources were identified within or adjacent to the project Area of Potential Effects. These include: the Starrsville Historic District, Gaithers United Methodist Church, Benton’s Bridge Road, Gaither Plantation (main house and immediate grounds), Dairy Barn Complex (HS-21), and Poplar Hill African-American Methodist Episcopal Church and Cemetery With the exception of Benton’s Bridge Road, which was determined ineligible for the NRHP, these resources were further evaluated in 2010 and discussed in an addendum entitled Historic Resources Survey - Addendum, Bear Creek Water Supply Reservoir, Newton County, Georgia (Gantt and Bowen 2010).

As a result of survey and testing efforts, prehistoric occupations from the Early Archaic, Middle Archaic, Late Archaic, Early Woodland, Middle Woodland, Late Woodland, and Late Mississippian were identified. Identified historic occupations ranged from the mid 19th to the late 20th centuries.