Phase I Archaeological Survey for the Proposed Indian Trail Lilburn Road Multiuse Path, Gwinnett County, Georgia

VHB conducted a Phase I archaeological survey for the proposed multiuse path in Gweinnett County from Norcross to Lilburn. Thomas Gresham previously surveyed the current survey area in 1994 for a separate project (PI#150250). The current project was resurveyed by VHB because Gresham’s survey was not performed to the Georgia Department of Transportation’s (GDOT) current standards. The purpose of this survey was to comply with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act by identifying archaeological resources within the project’s Area of Potential Effect (APE) and making recommendations concerning their eligibility for listing on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP).

The proposed project would consist of the construction of a 4.45 mile long, 10 foot wide multiuse trail along Indian Trail Road/Killian Hill Road from Beaver Ruin Road to a connection to the Camp Creek Greenway approximately 4,000 feet south of Lawrenceville Highway at Shelly Lane. The proposed project would be constructed in three segments, and only Segment 2 is funded at this point in time. Therefore, the APE for the current project is considered to only consist of Segment 2 as described below; however, Segments 1 and 3, which would be constructed later, have been evaluated as part of this survey as part of the expanded survey corridor (ESC) in order to meet Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) logical termini requirements.

Segment 1 would construct the proposed trail section along the east side of the Indian Trail Road 0.83 km (0.52 miles) from the Beaver Ruin Trail on Beaver Ruin Road to Willow Trail Parkway. Segment 2 (APE) would consist of the proposed trail section along the east side of Indian Trail Road for 3.21 km (2 miles) from Willow Trail Parkway to Burns Road, Segment 3 would consist of the proposed trial section along Indian Trail Road/Killian Hill Road for 3.1 km (1.93 miles) from Burns Road to Shelley Lane and the Camp Creek Greenway. The project would be located on the east side of Indian Trail Road/Killian Hill from Burns Road before crossing over to the west side of the Killian Hill Road for .77 km (0.5 miles) near the intersection with Church Street. Segment 3 would also include a 2,100-foot portion of a new location would be behind the Killian Hill Crossing Shopping Centre. The path would include a two to five-foot grass strip and the installation of bicycle and pedestrian accommodations. The existing right-of-way (ROW) along Indian Trial Road varies from 90 feet to 125 feet and the proposed ROW would vary from 100 feet to 135 feet. Segments 1 and 3, along with a 100-foot buffer, were surveyed as an expanded survey corridor (ESC), and an ESC of additional 100 feet beyond the identified APE was surveyed as stipulated in the current GDOT (2013) Environmental Procedures Manual. The APE and ESC were limited to a single side of Indian Trail/Killian Hill Road throughout the project corridor due to the proposed connections to the existing trail systems, which would preclude a shift of the proposed multiuse trail from one side of the road to the other.

A total of 483 shovel tests was planned at 30 m intervals. Of those, 95 were negative and 388 were considered “no digs.” No positive shovel tests were encountered. Shovel tests were not performed at 388 located due to disturbances such as paved parking lots and buildings. An additional 25 close interval shovel tests were performed to delineated site 9GW272.

Prior to the current survey, three previously recorded archaeological sites were identified in GNAHRGIS as having boundaries that fell within the APE/ESC. Site 9GW122 was a precontact site that was noted on the site form as having recently been destroyed by construction. The site’s original eligibility was never identified. Site 9GW160 was registered as part of the Mary Stover Griffin collection. However, the site type (precontact vs historic) was never stated. Furthermore, eligibility for the site was never determined. Site 9GW272 is a precontact lithic scatter sites. It was originally listed as ineligible.

During fieldwork, revisits to sites 9GW122 and 9GW160 were attempted but were not successful due to a lack of accurate location data on the original site forms. VHB recommends that the NRHP eligibility for both sites remain as unknown since the sites could not be relocated. Site 9GW272 was revisited to determine if intact archaeological deposits or features were present and reassess the original site boundaries. Site 9GW272 was originally recommended ineligible for the NRHP, and VHB recommends that the site continue to be ineligible. Site 9GW272 appears to have been destroyed, as no positive shovel tests occurred during VHB’s investigation.

Established Environmentally Sensitive Areas are typically required for sites with unknown eligibility but are no recommended for sites 9GW122 and 9GW160 because no evidence of either site was identified during the survey and their locations remains a uncertain.