A PHASE I ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY’S ACCESS ROADS ASSOCIATED WITH THE CENTER POINT-MOSS LAKE NO. 2 PROJECT IN GORDON AND WHITFIELD COUNTIES, GEORGIA, Volume I and II

Under contract with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), Tennessee Valley Archaeological Research (TVAR) conducted a Phase I cultural resources survey to document and assess cultural resources located within the area of potential effects (APE) associated with TVA’s planned Center Point-Moss Lake No. 2 transmission line project in Gordon and Whitfield Counties, Georgia. The APE for the archaeological survey included two planned transmission line rights-of-way (ROW): a 32.5-km (20.2-mi) transmission line with a 46-m (150-ft) ROW and a 1.1-km (0.7-mi) transmission line with a 30-m (100-ft) ROW. In total, the archaeological APE encompassed 152-ha (376-acres). The architectural APE for the project consisted of the immediate project ROWs, in addition to any areas visually connected to it via viewsheds to and from the project area, located within a 0.8-km (0.5-mi) survey radius surrounding the center lines of the planned transmission lines. Areas within the survey radius that were determined to not be within view of the planned transmission line ROWs due to obstructed lines-of-sight (e.g., terrain, vegetation and/or modern built environments) were not considered part of the architectural APE. The purpose of the survey was to aid TVA in its Section 106 compliance and to provide an inventory of cultural resources within the archaeological and architectural APEs, a description of the current conditions at the resources identified during the survey, and National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) eligibility status recommendations for each resource identified.

TVAR conducted the archaeological survey between February 10 and March 11, 2015, which resulted in the identification and documentation of 56 archaeological sites (9GO350- 9GO390, IS-22/9GO399, and 9WD162-9WD173) and 18 isolated finds within the APE. Thirty-five of the sites (9GO350, GO351, 9GO352, 9GO353, 9GO358, 9GO359, 9GO360, 9GO363, 9GO366, 9GO368, 9GO369, 9GO371, 9GO374, 9GO377, 9GO378, 9GO380, 9GO381, 9GO382, 9GO383, 9GO384, 9GO385, 9GO387, 9GO388, 9GO389, 9WD160, 9WD161, 9WD162, 9WD163, 9WD166, 9WD167, 9WD168, 9WD169, 9WD170, 9WD172, and 9WD173) and all 18 of the isolated finds offer little research potential beyond the findings of the Phase I survey and are recommended not eligible for inclusion in the NRHP. TVAR recommends no additional investigations of these resources. Dickey Cemetery (IS-22/9GO399) warrants NRHP considerations from both archaeological and architectural perspectives and will be discussed below in the architectural assessment. Twenty of the sites (18 prehistoric; 2 historic) identified by TVAR within the archaeological

APE warrant an eligibility status of undetermined. TVAR recommends avoidance of these 20 resources

pending additional archaeological investigations to more fully explore whether these resources meet NRHP eligibility standards under Criterion D. Eighteen sites are associated with prehistoric occupations that have the potential to yield important information regarding the area’s prehistory under Criterion D. Thirteen of these sites (9GO356, 9GO357, 9GO364, 9GO370, 9GO372, 9GO373, 9GO375, 9GO376, 9GO379, 9GO386, 9GO390, 9WD165, and 9WD171) are prehistoric artifact scatters located in riverine topographic settings (floodplain and terrace locations) with artifact recoveries beneath the plowzone, indicating the potential for buried, intact cultural deposits. Four of these sites (9GO354, 9GO362, 9GO365, and 9GO367) are moderate to high density prehistoric artifact scatters that lack evidence of deeply buried archaeological deposits, but their artifact densities indicate the possibility that intact cultural features may be present. One site (9GO355) is a light density prehistoric artifact scatter confined to the plowzone, but the site did produce a feature containing artifacts and an abundance of burned clay, including burned clay fragments exhibiting impressions, that is likely cultural in origin. Lastly, two sites (9GO361 and 9WD164) represent moderate density historic artifact scatters, including structural related remains, located in proximity to non-extant structures illustrated on historic topographic maps. The diversity of artifact types found at the sites, the presence of structural remains at both, and their possible association with structures depicted on historic

topographic quadrangles indicates the potential for the presence of subsurface cultural features. It is TVAR’s opinion that sites 9GO361 (early twentieth century) and 9WD164 (early nineteenth and mid-twentieth centuries) hold the potential for research regarding local and regional history of rural lifeways in northwest Georgia under Criterion D.

TVAR conducted the architectural assessment of the survey radius surrounding the center lines of the planned transmission lines between March 9 and 11, 2015. As a result of the survey, TVAR documented and assessed 87 above ground resources within the survey radius, including 36 newly recorded properties and 51 previously recorded properties. Of these 87 historic resources, TVAR determined that 54 were extant and occurred within the architectural APE. Of the 36 newly recorded properties (IS-1-IS-36) identified within the APE, TVAR recommends three of these properties (IS-4, IS-15 and IS-23) eligible for the NRHP. TVAR recommends property IS-4 eligible for the NRHP under Criterion C for its architectural significance as a local example of a ca. 1930 Colonial Revival style house. Property IS-15 (Liberty Cumberland Presbyterian Church) is recommended eligible for the NRHP under Criterion A for its historical association with the Civil War Battles of Lay’s Ferry and Resaca and its use as a field hospital by Union forces. TVAR recommends property IS-23, two segments of the Norfolk Southern Railroad, eligible for the NRHP under Criterion A for its association with the economic development of Gordon and Whitfield Counties. Based on current project plans, it is the opinion of TVAR that the proposed undertaking will have a visual effect on properties IS-4,

IS-15, and IS-23, but the effect will not be adverse due to modern development that has altered the historic setting of these properties. It is TVAR’s opinion that 33 of the newly recorded properties (IS-1, IS-2, IS-3, IS-5, IS-6, IS-7, IS-8, IS-9, IS-10, IS-11, IS-12, IS-13, IS-14, IS-16, IS-17, IS-18, IS-19, IS-20, IS-21, IS-22, IS-23, IS-24, IS-25, IS-26, IS-27, IS-28, IS-29, IS-30, IS-31, IS-32, IS-33, IS-34, IS-35, and IS-36) are not eligible for the NRHP due to their lack of architectural and/or historical significance.

The Georgia Historic Preservation Division (HPD) requested that two of the above ground resources (IS-15 and IS-22) documented by TVAR be assigned state site numbers by the Georgia Archaeological Site File. Resource IS-15/9GO398 is a purported Civil War field hospital “burial pit” located on the grounds of Liberty Cumberland Church (IS-15). The HPD considers the “burial pit” to have unknown NRHP eligibility under Criterion D. Given the absence of scientific investigations, coupled with the lack of historical documentary evidence, supporting the existence of the “burial pit”, TVAR cannot offer an opinion regarding the NRHP eligibility of this resource. Resource IS-15/9GO398 is located outside the planned transmission line ROW (archaeological APE) and it will not be physically affected by TVA’s undertaking. Resource IS-22/9GO399 (Dickey Cemetery) is located within the planned transmission line ROW (archaeological APE). TVAR recommends that resource IS-22/9GO399 is not eligible for listing in the NRHP under Criteria A, B, or C, and that TVA’s undertaking will not have an effect on the cemetery. However, the cemetery is protected under Georgia state law regarding abandoned cemeteries and TVAR recommends avoidance of ground disturbing activities within the bounds of resource IS-22/9GO399 as defined by a recent geophysical

survey of the cemetery. The HPD considers Dickey Cemetery eligible for listing in the NRHP under Criterion C (Criteria Consideration D) and to have unknown NRHP eligibility under Criterion D.

The architectural survey also revisited 51 previously documented resources located within the survey radius surrounding the center lines of the planned transmission lines. It is the opinion of TVAR that the following four properties occur within the architectural APE and are eligible for the NRHP: 36458, 36460, 36462, and 36467. TVAR recommends property 36458 (Hill City Depot) eligible for the NRHP under Criterion C for its local significance as a representative example of a rural passenger depot constructed in the early twentieth century. Property 36460 (Rooker-Davis House) is eligible for the NRHP under Criterion C for its local significance as a representative example of a late nineteenth century Folk Victorian style house. Property 36462 (Sugar Valley Consolidated School) is eligible for the NRHP under Criterion A for its historical association with the educational history of the town of Sugar Valley, and Criterion C for its local significance as a representative example of Craftsman style architecture. Lastly, TVAR recommends property 36467 (J.M. Muse House) eligible for the NRHP under Criterion B for its association with local industrialist J.M. Muse, and Criterion C for its local significance as a representative example of Tudor Revival influenced architecture. Based on current project plans, it is the opinion of TVAR that the proposed undertaking will result in a visual effect to NRHP eligible properties 36458, 36460, 36462, and 36467, but the effect will not be adverse due to modern development that has altered the historic setting of these properties.

Of the remaining 47 previously documented architectural resources, it is the opinion of TVAR that 14 resources (36580, 36644, 63634, 63671, 63674, 63676, 63677, 63679, 63695, 63701, 219077, 219130, 219148, and WD-758) that occur within the architectural APE are not eligible for the NRHP due to their lack of architectural distinction or loss of integrity resulting from modern alterations or damage. TVAR’s survey determined that the following 20 previously documented architectural resources are located outside the viewshed to the project area and are not within the architectural APE: 36431, 36432, 36434, 36435, 36444, 36461, 36463, 36464, 36465, 36466, 36566, 36587, 36622, 63601, 63627, 63665, 63666, 63668, 63669, and 63673. Lastly, TVAR’s survey identified the following 13 previously documented architectural resources that have been destroyed since their initial recordation: 36433, 36443, 36449, 36459, 36468, 36469, 36470, 36475, 36586, 36588, 63635, 63675, and 63678.