Archaeological Research Design and Data Recovery Plan for the Waldburg Street Site (9CH1039) Savannah, Georgia

The Housing Authority of Savannah has committed to build a mixed income community in the Benjamin Van Clark Park area of Savannah. This Housing Opportunities for People Everywhere (HOPE VI) project, which replaces the old Garden Homes site, will include 273 dwellings comprised of 24 market rate units, 108 affordable rental units, 111 public housing apartments and 30 affordable rate homes. Also included in the project area will be a 13,000 square foot Neighborhood Resource Center and 15,000 square foot of retail space (Housing Authority of Savannah http://www.savannahpha.com/facts.htm). The Waldburg Street site (9Ch1039) was discovered in a recent Phase I Archaeological Survey of the HOPE VI Tract conducted by Southern Research, Historic Preservation Consultants, Inc. (Elliott 2003). Southern Research's field study employed shovel testing and surface reconnaissance to identify the cultural resources in the study area. The archaeological survey identified three historic sites but only the Waldburg Street site possessed sufficient integrity to merit listing in the National Register of Historic Places. Archaeological data recovery at the Waldburg Street site is intended to comply with the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) of 1966, as amended through 1992. Section 106 of the NHP A requires federal agencies to review the effect their actions may have on archaeological sites and other historic properties that are listed in or eligible for the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). Review procedures are referred to as "the Section 106 process" and are set forth in the recent regulations issued by the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (36 CFR 800), as amended on January 11, 2001. Accordingly, the Housing Authority of Savannah has determined that the archaeological resources contained in the Walburg Site will be destroyed by the construction of the HOPE VI Development constituting an adverse effect to the site. The Authority has determined that archaeological data recovery is appropriate to mitigate this loss and resolve the adverse effect.

One purpose of a research design is to estimate the limits of data recovery that are required for the project. These estimates are based on: specific data needs; time and funds available to secure the data; and relative cost effectiveness of various strategies [National Park Service (NPS) 2003]. Guidelines developed by the NPS, Society for American Archaeology, Society for Historical Archaeology (SHA), Register of Professional Archaeologists (RP A), and the Georgia Council of Professional Archaeologists (GCPA) were consulted in compiling this document (NPS 2003, Society for American Archaeology 1988; SHA 2001, 2003; RPA 2003; GCPA 2001). The study area is located in urban Savannah, Georgia, which is located on a high marine terrace on the Savannah River in Chatham County, approximately 6 miles from the river's mouth (U.S. Department of Agriculture 1974; U.S. Geological Survey 1981). The Waldburg Street site is located on a low ridge in a tract bounded by Wheaton, Ash, and Henry streets, and South Boundary Frontage Road (formerly Bee Street). The study area is currently vegetated in a heavily landscaped maritime hardwood forest with an extensive grass and herbaceous understory. Public housing that previously covered the area has been razed and much of the rubble removed. Most of the utility lines that previously served the area have been disconnected. A series of streets that formerly crossed the study area but are no longer extant include Bolton, Genoa, Mace, and Waldburg streets.

The Waldburg Street site, contains a buried deposit of early historic artifacts, midden and features that promises to enlighten our society on early life on the outskirts of Savannah. The potential for important Revolutionary War and Civil War components also was recognized from historical research, although no artifacts or features specifically linked to these events were identified. The Waldburg Street site was deemed eligible for inclusion in the NRHP. After consultation with representatives from the City of Savannah, Southern Research was contracted to prepare this research design for archaeological data recovery at the Waldburg Street site. A more detailed description of the Waldburg Street site is presented later in this research design and in Elliott (2003).