Archeological Survey for the Proposed Widening of Windsor Spring Road, Richmond County, Georgia Addendum 3

This addendum reports the results of an archeological survey of ten parcels of right-of-way or easement required for the proposed widening and improvements to an approximately 8-km (5-mi) length of Windsor Spring Road in south central Richmond County. The project corridor was first archeologically surveyed in 2003 (Patton 2003), and then as design plans evolved, additional parcels of right-of-way and easement were surveyed in 2009 (Gresham 2009) and 2010 (Benson 2010). In 2013, as final design plans were reviewed, it was realized that ten new parcels had not been surveyed. All but one of these were narrow strips within 15 m (50 ft) of the previously surveyed corridor. In consultation with the Georgia Department of Transportation, it was agreed that these parcels are considered as having been surveyed by the earlier surveys. Thus, the subject of the current project was the one parcel that extended beyond 15 m from areas previously surveyed and one other parcel adjacent to a previously recorded site that had been within an inaccessible fenced yard.

The larger parcel surveyed in 2013 and reported herein straddles Ebenezer Drive North, a driveway to the First Ebenezer Baptist Church, which is a historic property recommended eligible for the National Register of Historic Places by the project historians (Weber 2008). The irregularly shaped parcel examined contained a brick chimney base and a wide distribution of late nineteenth to mid-twentieth century household artifacts. Aerial photographs show that a house at this location was occupied until shortly after 1941 and was razed between 1949 and 1957. In the early 1960s a graded and paved driveway to the church was constructed precisely through the footprint of the former house, resulting in significant disturbance to the site and widespread dispersal of artifacts. Neighbors related that the house was a parsonage for the church, but we have been unable to confirm this. The house site, which has been designated site 9RI1145, is not within the boundaries of the First Ebenezer Baptist Church historic property and was not mentioned in a history of the church property (Weber 2008). Because the site has been severely disturbed by road construction and has only unconfirmed association with First Ebenezer Baptist Church, we recommend that the portion examined in the present survey does not contribute the eligibility of the site. Because the site extends beyond our project area, the eligibility of the site as a whole remains unknown.

Late nineteenth to mid-twentieth century house site 9RI1105 was recorded in 2003 as not eligible for the National Register of Historic Places, but the northern extent of the site was undetermined because it extended into a fenced yard with warning signs. In 2013, we returned to this site and met the homeowners to the north who allowed us to shovel test to establish the northern extent of the site. Two positive shovel tests and one negative shovel test extended the site about 15 m further to the north. We recommend that the portion of the site investigated does not contribute to the eligibility of the site. Because the site extends beyond our project area and was not investigated, the eligibility of the site as a whole remains unknown.

We conclude that the proposed additional parcels of right-of-way and easement will not create adverse effects to significant archeological resources. Notwithstanding other considerations, we recommend that the proposed project be allowed to proceed as planned.