Phase I Survey of Vacant Lots Associated with the I-16/I-75 Interchange Improvements, City of Macon, Bibb County, Georgia

As a direct result of proposed interchange improvements at Interstate (I)-75 and I-16 in the City of Macon, Georgia, the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) has identified several historic properties in the Pleasant Hill Historic District, listed on National Register of Historic Places (NHRP), that will be impacted by the improvements, and that need to be relocated within the district. As part of this project GDOT will also conduct streetscape improvements where feasible (e.g., resurfacing, sidewalks, landscaping, new curbs, street lights, and limited signage), and develop a proposed Jefferson Long Park. Fifty separate lots were identified by GDOT as potential locations within the Pleasant Hill Historic District to which the impacted historic properties could be relocated.     Consulting engineering firm American Engineers, Inc. retained Edwards-Pitman Environmental, Inc. (EPEI) to conduct Phase I investigations in order to locate and evaluate archaeological resources within the project area, which consists of the 50 vacant lots. Fieldwork occurred from July 22 to August 7, September 16 to October 2, and November 21 to 22, 2013, and involved visual inspection, systematic shovel testing, systematic metal detecting, and limited 1-x-1 meter test unit excavations. Survey resulted in the identification of 45 new archaeological sites and further investigation of two loci within 9BI179, previously identified as the location of twentieth century shotgun houses.     Prior to the commencement of fieldwork, a review of the Georgia Archaeological Site File (GASF) revealed that four previously recorded archaeological sites are located within 1 kilometer of the project area, including the aforementioned 9BI179. The remaining three sites represent salvage excavations of a possible water tower at Overlook Mansion, 9BI33; a Late Archaic to Early Woodland campsite, 9BI48; and the burial site of southern rock guitarist Duane Allman, 9BI84.     The 50 vacant lots averaged an eighth of an acre, and encompass a total of 6.22 acres (2.51 hectares). Of the 50 vacant lots investigated, two lots are part of a previously identified site, 9BI179 (416 and 430 Craft Street), three lots were combined into one newly recorded site (2191, 2193, and 2195 Walnut Street), and one lot remains uninvestigated due to it being completely paved with concrete (1690 Fourth Avenue). EPEI recommends Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) as a means to investigate this lot. All of the 45 new archaeological sites, as well as the two loci within 9BI79, are urban house sites dating to the turn of the last century. Of the 45 newly discovered archaeological sites and two loci in 9BI179, 23 of them were first occupied in the late nineteenth century, while the remainder were first occupied beginning in the early twentieth century. Most of these sites continued to be occupied through the middle to late twentieth century. In almost all cases, each site was fully delineated and the site and loci boundaries were able to be determined based upon.