Addendum Phase I Survey of the Proposed Improvements to Douthit Ferry Road, Bartow County, Georgia

In September 2016, Edwards-Pitman Environmental, Inc. (EPEI) conducted an addendum Phase 1 archaeological survey for the proposed improvements to Douthit Ferry Road in Bartow County (Georgia Department of Transportation [GDOT] Project STP-0007-00(494), P.I. No. 0007494, Historic Preservation Department [HPD] No. HP-081113-003). The original Phase I survey was conducted by EPEI in 2009 under a contract with Pharr Engineering, Inc. of Norcross, Georgia (Quirk and Silliman 2009). This addendum survey was conducted by EPEI under a contract with Southland Engineering of Cartersville, Georgia. The GDOT project proposes to widen and improve Douthit Ferry Road from Old Alabama Road to State Route (SR) 61/SR 113/West Avenue. The planned improvements include widening lanes, installing turn lanes, widening shoulders, installing medians, and building a new bridge span over the Etowah River. The original 2009 survey, and subsequent Phase II investigations, identified two sites that would have been impacted by the design plans for the proposed road improvements, sites 9BR7 and 9BR636 (Quirk and Silliamns 2009; Trudeau and Lewis 2014). In consultation with GDOT, EPEI, and the City of Cartersville, design plans were modified so as to avoid impacts to both 9BR 7 and 9BR636. The design changes created areas that were found to be outside the originally surveyed corridor, thus necessitating this addendum Phase 1 archaeological survey. The original 2009 Phase I survey included an Area of Potential Effect (APE), as well as a 100- foot expanded survey corridor (ESC) as stipulated by GDOT's Environmental Procedures Manual (GDOT 2013). The survey area for this addendum survey also includes an APE and an ESC. This current survey addresses those portions of the project that were not covered by the original survey; this includes easements and parcel remnants due to property takes necessary for bridge construction over the Etowah River.

In addition to conducting and reporting on the results of the addendum Phase 1 archaeological survey, this report also seeks to discuss NRHP eligibility for site 9BR636, as well as discuss an oversight of the original survey in regards to site 9BR1058, in that it was not addressed in relation to this proposed project. In addition, this report hopes to clarify issues that have come to light regarding site boundaries and locations for several sites located within the 1-kilometer radius of the survey area, specifically 9BR6, 9BR96, 9BR822, and 9BR1 058.

As a result of this survey, the site boundary of one previously recorded site, 9BR96, has changed; however, the original unknown National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) status for the site remains unchanged by this current survey. While no additional survey work was conducted within these sites, clear boundaries have also been established for sites 9BR6, 9BR822, and 9BR1 058. In Addendum Phase I Survey of the Proposed Improvements to Douthit Ferry Road, Bartow County, Georgia addition, NRHP eligibility is discussed for 9BR636, especially with respect to its association with 9BR7.