Report of Cultural Resouces Assessment of the Proposed West Cobb High School, Cobb County, Georgia

MACTEC Engineering and Consulting (MACTEC), was contracted by Chapman, Griffin, Lanier, Sussenbach Architects, to provide a cultural resources assessment of the proposed West Cobb High School in Cobb County, Georgia. The proposed project may potentially impact an existing wetland, and may require a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. If a federal permit is required, the proposed project will constitute a federal undertaking as defined under 36 CFR part 800.16(y).

As part of this cultural resource assessment, a review of the National Register of Historic Places, the Georgia Archaeological Site File, The Georgia Archaeological Site File Reports and Manuscript Database, historic maps, and aerial photographs was conducted. Field survey methods consisted of pedestrian reconnaissance, surface observation and the excavation of shovel tests in areas considered conducive to human habitation (i.e. less than 10 percent slope).

One (1) archaeological site was identified within the proposed project boundaries as a result of the cultural resources assessment. Site 9CO658 consists of an historic farmhouse constructed ca. 1890 and associated outbuildings that include two barns, and two chicken houses. Two extant standing structures are adjacent to pastured land that exhibits extensive agricultural terracing.

Site 9CO658 is reflective of two of the five historic periods or themes established in Tilling the Earth: Georgia’s Historic Agricultural Heritage Context. Because the historic farmhouse appears to have been constructed ca. 1890 and retains its association with the historic agricultural landscape, the property is reflective of the period from 1865-1920: The Postbellum Era, Cotton, and the Agrarian Revolution. Since the farm appears to have survived as a relatively complete entity to the present day, it is also reflective of the period from 1920-1950: The Death of King Cotton and the Birth of Successful Agricultural Diversity. Phase II evaluative testing and historical research on the property is recommended for Site 9CO658 to determine the extent of intact cultural deposits associated with this historic period farm and its potential eligibility for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places.