Archaeological Survey and Testing of Proposed US 27/SR 1 Alternative Corridors Around Suttons Corner and Gay Farms Historic Districts Clay and Randolph Counties, Goergia

Southeastern Archeological Services, Inc. (SAS), contracted through Greenhorne & O'Mara, Inc., conducted a Phase I intensive archeological survey and limited Phase II site testing ofproposed US 27/SR 1 alternatives around the Suttons Corner Historic District in Clay and Randolph Counties and the Gay Farms Historic District in Randolph County, Georgia for the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT). The archeological project was executed in compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended. Section 106 requires that all federal agencies, or entities funded, regulated or licensed by federal agencies, must `take into account' any significant cultural resources that may be adversely affected by the proposed undertaking, which in this case are the alternative routes for the rerouting of US 27/SR 1. The Scope of Work allowed for Phase II testing investigation for any sites lying within the preferred proposed alternatives that could not be determined as eligible or ineligible (recommended `potentially eligible') for listing on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) with survey phase information alone. For this project four such sites were test excavated, 9CY162, 9CY163, 9RE48 and 9RH63. All but one of the remaining archeological sites were recommended ineligible for listing on the NRHP. The single site that still retains a'potentially eligible,' or unknown, recommendation for listing on the NRHP is site 9CY175. This particular site would be impacted by one of the proposed alternatives (Alternate A) around the Suttons Corner Historic District. Presently, the GDOT does not plan to use this alternative, so additional Phase II testing was not necessary. The initially proposed US 27/SR 1 realignments that bypass the Suttons Corner and Gay Farms Historic Districts were intensively surveyed for cultural resources during February and March, 2000. There were three proposed alternatives (Alternates A, B and C) around the Suttons Corner Historic District and one alternative (Alternate 1) around the Gay Farms Historic District. This survey recorded 49 archeological sites and four occurrences. Among the 49 sites, four were recommended as potentially eligible for listing on the NRHP. Three of these lie within proposed alternatives around Suttons Corner (9CY162, 9CY163 and 9CY175) and one within the proposed alternative around Gay Farms (9RH48). Phase II testing investigations ensued for sites 9CY162, 9CY163 and 9RH48, since these three sites were within the GDOT preferred alternatives (Alternate B around Suttons Corner and Alternate 1 around Gay Farms). All three sites were recommended as eligible for listing on the NRHP after Phase II testing investigations. A Phase I survey of a second alternative (Alternate 2) around the Gay Farms Historic District, effectively avoiding any adverse impact to 9RH48, resulted in the discovery of four archeological sites. One of these sites, 9RH63, was recommended as potentially eligible for listing on the NRHP. Phase II testing investigation of 9RH63 resulted in a recommendation of ineligible for listing on the NRHP. Concerning NRHP eligible sites 9CY162 and 9CY163, GDOT archeologists surveyed potential shifts of proposed Alternate B that could avoid adverse impacts to these two sites. Based upon their findings and consultation with local American Indian groups, the GDOT shifted the southern portion of Alternate B so as not to adversely impact 9CY162 and also decided to use proposed Alternate C, which would avoid any adverse impact to 9CY163. In summary, 53 sites and four occurrences were recorded within all proposed alternatives around the two historic districts. Among these sites three are recommended as eligible and one aspotentially eligible for listing on the NRHP. Subsequent proposed US 27/SR 1 alternative choices and shifts made by the GDOT following Phase II testing investigations effectively avoid adverse impacts to all eligible and potentially eligible sites that were recorded on this project. Therefore, given that GDOT plans for the proposed US 27/SR 1 alternatives around the Suttons Corner and Gay Farms Historic Districts do not change, we recommend that the construction of the preferred routes should be allowed to proceed.