PHASE I ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY IN ADVANCE OF THE PROPOSED BRIDGE REPLACEMENT ON SR 25 OVER WAVERLY CREEK AND LITTLE WAVERLY CREEK, CAMDEN COUNTY, GEORGIA

Edwards-Pitman Environmental, Inc. (EPEI) conducted a Phase I archaeological survey for proposed bridge replacements on State Route (SR) 25 over Waverly Creek and Little Waverly Creek (Georgia Department of Transportation [GDOT] P.I. No. 0013739, HP No. 180119-002), in Camden County, Georgia, in April, May, and August 2018, and February 2019. EPEI was contracted by Barge Design Solutions, Inc. to locate and evaluate archaeological resources within an environmental survey boundary (ESB) provided to EPEI by project design engineers in order to evaluate potential effects to cultural resources in accordance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA).

The survey area for the project is located just south of Waverly, Georgia and consists of an approximately 1,219 meters (m) (4,000 feet [ft]) long and approximately 283 m (927 ft) wide ESB which is designed specifically to encompass all areas of possible/foreseeable ground disturbance as a result of the current project. The proposed project involves the replacement of GDOT Bridge Serial No. 039-0010-0 located on SR 25 over Waverly Creek and GDOT Bridge Serial No. 039- 0009-0 located on SR 25 over Little Waverly Creek. The current bridges, built in 1955, are below current design standards. The overall structures would be classified as in satisfactory condition, with the substructures of the bridges classified as scour critical with deterioration and cracking in some of the pile bents. Due to the structural integrity of the bridges pertaining to the design vehicle, the scour critical rating, and deterioration of the concrete piles, the proposed improvements would replace both functionally obsolete bridges on existing alignment. When the design is complete, the project’s area of potential effect (APE) will likely be smaller than the ESB that is shown.

A review of the Georgia Archaeological Site File (GASF) and Georgia’s Natural, Archaeological, and Historic Resources Geographic Information System (GNAHRGIS) online database indicates that there was one previously recorded site, 9CM33, located partially within the ESB. The site was identified in 1973 by S. Dwight Kirkland and F. C. Cook and mentioned in an archaeological inventory of resources within the Satilla River Basin (GASF 1973, Soil Systems, Inc. 1978). Site 9CM33 consists of lithic debitage and Stallings Island and Deptford ceramic scatter dating to the Late Archaic and Middle Woodland Periods and is located on a small rise or mound, possibly of “artificial construction,” but this was never confirmed (GASF 1973). No report is associated with this site and there was no National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) recommendation.

The Phase I archaeological survey resulted in a revisit to 9CM33, in addition to the identification of two new sites, 9CM581 and 9CM583. The revisit to 9CM33 revealed no cultural material or features. Because only a portion of this site falls within the survey boundary, only the western extent was examined by shovel testing with more than half of the site remaining uninvestigated. Overall, the portion of 9CM33 examined lacks integrity and does not possess significant information potential under Criterion D. However, as the site was not fully delineated, it is recommended as of unknown eligibility for the NRHP. It is recommended that the portion of the site that extends outside of the ESB be protected by the establishment of an ESA marked with OBF in order to prevent inadvertent impacts by the proposed project.

Site 9CM581 is located entirely within the ESB and consists of the remnants of the Island Grove Tourist Court, a haul road and/or temporary detour, four wooden bridge pilings, and 48 wooden dock pilings and timbers. The tourist court occupation dates to the mid-twentieth century, while the haul road and/or temporary detour and associated bridge pilings date to 1955 and is associated with the construction of the NRHP ineligible bridges over Waverly Creek and Little Waverly Creek. No diagnostic information or artifacts could be associated with the dock pilings and timbers; however, historic research and a local informant interview suggest that this portion of the site pre-dates the tourist court occupation and could either be associated with antebellum or post-antebellum activities. Due to significant past disturbance and demolition activities and intrusive modern elements, only secondary cultural deposits and limited intact features remain of the tourist court occupation. The remnants of the tourist court occupation do not offer data sets with the potential to yield or likely to yield information important to early twentieth century lodging in relation to the Coastal Highway; therefore lacking significant data potential. In addition, because no time frame (i.e., plantation or post-plantation) could be assigned to the dock pilings and timbers, this pre-twentieth century site occupation lacks data potential. Because of these reasons, EPEI recommends 9CM581 ineligible for listing on the NRHP under Criterion D. No further work is recommended for this site.

Finally, the ESB bisects and is partially located within 9CM583, which represents the known extent of historic rice fields and features including canals, dikes, and ditches in operation from the from the 1760s to the late 1800s and associated with the Middleton-Waverly Plantation. EPEI recommends 9CM583 eligible for listing on the NRHP under Criteria A and C for retaining state and local significance in the areas of agriculture, landscape, architecture, engineering, economics, and ethnic heritage. In addition, 9CM583 is also recommended eligible for listing on the NRHP under Criterion D for having the potential to yield additional significant data pertaining to the region’s history. It is recommended that 9CM583 be avoided and protected by the establishment of an environmentally sensitive area (ESA) marked with orange barrier fencing (OBF) in order to prevent inadvertent impacts by the proposed project. Any potential project impacts to this recommended NRHP eligible site will be evaluated in a forthcoming assessment of effects (AOE) document.