Preliminary Assessment of Historic Involvement for Draft Document Project F-111-1(16), Chatham County

This transportation project has been surveyed for historic resources in compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, and amendments thereto The survey boundary and methodology were established using GDOT/FHWA Cultural Resources Survey Guidelines. These guidelines were established as a result of past interaction with the State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) and her staff and were agreed upon by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the SHPO. The Department of Natural Resources 1 Chatham County survey for potential historic resources was consulted in preliminary identification of potentially historic resources. A list of current National Register properties in Chatham County was consulted. A field survey for potential historic resources was also conducted along the project corridor. As result of these measures, one existing National Register property was located within the project1 s area of potential environmental impact. Lebanon Plantation was placed on the National Register on November 29, 1979. The two-story, frame plantation plain house with its two-story veranda was built C.l803, however the associated acreage has been a plantation/farm complex since the 1750 1S. It was rebuilt after suffering extensive damage during Federal occupation in the Civil War, remodeled at the turn of the twentieth century and once again after that time. All the outbuildings date from the twentieth century. The property is significant because of its associations with agriculture, architecture, total history and historical archaeology. In compliance with Section 106 an Assessment of Effects of the project to this resource is under preparation. The proposed project would be located approximately one-half mile from the National Register boundary at its closest point. However, because a bridge would be necessary to carry the facility over a railroad corridor and because the terrain between the two is primarily marsh, Lebanon Plantation could be visually affected by the project. However, this effect is not anticipated to be adverse. A more detailed assessment of effects will be submitted to the SHPO. A consultation between FHWA and the SHPO will then be scheduled to discuss the effects of project implementation to Lebanon Plantation. Section 106 procedures will be accomplished prior to finalization of environmental documentation. Since the project does not require acquisition of Section 4(f) land, compliance with Section 4(f) procedures is not a required part of the environmenta1 clearance of the Project.