Archaeological Investigations to Provide Design Information for Restoration of Selected Portions of the Carter Farm Landscape: Phase II Archeological Investigations at Portions of the Jimmy Carter Boyhood Farm, Plains, Georgia

The purposes of the archaeological investigation described here were to:

 Provide evidence concerning the historic location and appearance of some of the structures and other landscape features to be restored or reconstructed, as identified in the approved master plan and conceptual design plans for the Jimmy Carter Boyhood Farm. The particular features investigated were those included in Denver Service Center project JICA-001, "Restore Jimmy Carter Boyhood Farm." The project is intended to restore the Jimmy Carter Boyhood Farm to its appearance in 1937. Structures and other landscape features including fence lines, a clay surfaced tennis court, fields, groves of trees, and gardens will be restored, reconstructed, or reestablished as they appeared in that year. The specific structures and features included in this project are listed below. The year 193 7 was selected because it was the year before electricity was brought to the farm, and because the landscape of that year is one that represents the environment that Jimmy Carter enjoyed as a boy. Carter was 12 years old in 1937. Many of the landscape features figure in his memories of family, friends, and boyhood work and play activities.

Determine the degree to which contribute to the eligibility of the site for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places. If this material were determined to greatly contribute to the significance of the site, to make plans by which these areas should be avoided, or should be completely excavated prior to planned restoration and reconstruction work. Phase II archeological investigations were carried out by the National Park Service Applied Archeology Center of Silver Spring, Maryland, a unit of the Resource Planning Group of the National Park Service planning and design center, the Denver Service Center, with assistance provided by park staff and volunteers. This investigation included limited excavation at carefully selected areas. Excavation was carried out in two field sessions. The first of these, Fieldwork Session A, was conducted from 8 through 12 June 1998. The second, Fieldwork Session B, was from 10 through 14 August 1998. The precise areas excavated were selected after examining pertinent historic records and photographs and by consulting with a variety of persons who had knowledge of the 193 7 farm landscape, or of particular features on it at that time. Enhancement and analysis of historical aerial photographs of the farm proved to be of especially great utility.