Second Addendum Phase I Archaeological Survey of Proposed Widening of SR 11/US 129 Cleveland Highway from Limestone Road to South of Nopone Road, Gainesville Hall County, Georgia

In compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (36 CFR 800), New South Associates completed a Phase I Archaeological Survey as a sub-consultant to Keck and Wood, Inc., on behalf of the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT). This study represents the second addendum of the SR 11 widening and bridge improvement project in Hall County and is part of the archaeological compliance for GDOT Project Numbers STP-002-06(48) (PI 122060). The goals of this project were to identify archaeological resources within the area of potential effect (APE), defined as the project right-of-way (ROW) and construction easements, and to determine the eligibility of identified archaeological resources for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). An Expanded Survey Corridor (ESC) was waived for this survey upon consultation with Jim Pomfret of the GDOT. Much of this segment of the SR 11 road corridor has been previously surveyed (Davis 2013; Koch and Norwood 2008; Paglione 1991). This prior work included surveys for the replacement of the Bells Mill Bridge (BRF00-0002-06[49] [PI 122064]) and the Longstreet Bridge (BRF00-0002-06[50] [PI 122066]) over Lake Lanier that were originally part of the present undertaking but were removed as standalone projects (Keith 20 17a, 20 17b). A small portion of the study area included lands owned by the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), thereby requiring an Archaeological Resource Protection Act (ARPA) permit to survey these areas; distributed among six variously sized parcels altogether measuring approximately 3.6 acres in area, 12 shovel test locations were examined within USACE properties, of which nine were not excavated due to disturbance, while the three that were excavated produced no archaeological remains

One archaeological resource was identified, New Bridge Baptist Church Cemetery, which was assigned state site number 9lll.,609. The cemetery was recommended eligible for the NRHP as a result of the historic resources survey for this project, but the portion within the APE does not contain significant data potential. For the archaeological survey, a 135-meter (443-ft.) long segment of the APE along the north side of the New Bridge Baptist Church Cemetery (9HL609) was intensively examined for evidence of marked and unmarked graves. A pedestrian reconnaissance was completed, followed with systematic subsurface soil compaction testing (probing) of the APE. A 10-meter grave-free buffer was also established along the southern side of the APE using these same techniques. No evidence of graves within either the APE or the buffer was identified. Because the cemetery is outside of the proposed construction limits, separate determination of the eligibility of the cemetery for the NRHP under Criterion D was not warranted according to the GDOT cemetery procedure guidelines. There were no indications that construction as currently planned within the APE would have any adverse impact on the cemetery.

                New South recommends that the portion of New Bridge Baptist Church Cemetery (9HL609) containing burials be avoided. As a result of this survey and consultation with the road designers, the project design was modified to exclude the cemetery from the APE. Because the site represents a culturally sensitive area, an ESA barrier should be established to protect the site from adverse impacts that could result from road improvements.