Archaeological Investigations of the Marine Railway Site, Hutchinson's Island, Savannah, Georgia

In July and August 1984, the Center for Low Country Studies of Armstrong State College conducted historical research and test excavations at the Marine Railway Site located on Hutchinson Island in the Savannah Harbor, Chatham County, Georgia. The work was conducted for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah District, under the terms of Purchase Order No. DACW21-84-MO758. A portion of the site will be impacted by the construction of emergency bend wideners on the shipping channel. The archaeological investigation produced a small amount of material. Some 2242 artifacts were recovered, most of which dated to the later nineteenth century and were concerned with ship or machinery repair. The significant artifacts, however, were the remains of structures relating to the operation of a marine railway which occupied the site during the last quarter of the nineteenth century. The marine railway site consists of three extant features important to understanding nineteenth century ship-ping related activities. These features are specifically associated with H. F. Willink's marine railway and shipyard and include the railway itself, a plank flooring eroding from the shoreline spoil ledge and an extensive brick scatter along the shoreline west of the railway. These were mapped to determine their spatial relationships and tested to evaluate their integrity and significance. Six, three foot by three foot test pits and two six foot by six foot surface collection units were investigated to determine the relationship between surface and subsurface deposits to the extant features. Since the area had been utilized as a spoil dump, no significant conclusions could be drawn regarding artifacts recovered from the site. The surface collection from the area of the railway yielded artifacts clearly related to the repair of machinery and the resheathing of ships's bottoms. These activities are those expected of a marine railway. Fill on the site was extensive, ranging from one to over seven feet in depth. A brick feature located on a "beach" where wave action from passing vessels, combined with tidal fluctuations, was also noted. This may have been a paving to protect a wooden dock. Research indicated that the marine railway was built and operated by H. F. Willink, Jr. from 1873 to 1898. The historical research revealed that the site appeared to be eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places based on its association with people and events important to Savannah's history. Cultural features discovered during the testing included the railway track, plank flooring, and a brick scatter. The testing revealed that, due to mixing of railway era deposits with layers of fill material, archaeological excavation of the site would provide little additional significant information. Preservation in place was not recommended.