A Phase I Archaeological Survey of the Proposed Site for the Pierce County Library, Blackshear, Georgia

A Phase I Intensive Archaeological Survey was conducted by Southeastern Horizons, Inc., in mid-November 2004 on the Area of Potential Effect (APE) of a tract of land in Blackshear, Georgia. It was executed under contract with the Pierce County Board of Commissioners as part of the preliminary work prior to the proposed construction of a new Pierce County public library. The purpose of the survey was to assist in cultural resource compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (36 CFR Part 800.16[d]), prior to applying for a United States Department of Agriculture Community Facilities Loan. The loan identifications include the Georgia Clearinghouse code: GA 040719005, the Regional Clearinghouse code: RC 040713001, and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Historic Preservation Division code: HP040723-001. The tract is located in the city of Blackshear behind the present Neighborhood Facilities Center (NFC) whose street address is 705 College Avenue. The field work was conducted on 18, 19, and 22 November 2004 by S. Dwight Kirkland (Principal Investigator) and Carolyn J. Rock, RPA. The tract surveyed covered approximately 0.42 hectares (ha) (1.03 acres [ac]) of which 0.08 ha (0.19 ac) is covered in asphalt pavement and could not be assessed. The topography is characterized as a gentle southward sloping (<2%) upland ridge that is covered in a manicured lawn with a few scattered pine, pecan, and cedar trees. The tract was subjected to surface reconnaissance, an intensive shovel test scheme based on a 10 meter (32.8 feet) grid, and limited shovel-shaving around several exposed brick and mortar features. A total of 26 shovel tests were dug all of which yielded cultural materials. The results indicate that the deposits have little archaeological integrity and the artifacts are highly attrited. Only one prehistoric artifact was found in a stratum below the more dense overlying historic occupation. The shovel tests revealed no significant integrity to the historic deposit either. Excavation for the installation of utilities and drainage systems, as well as, refuse dumping in the southern end of the tract has left almost nothing intact there. In the northern portion, successive events of scalping and filling have left multiple thin layers of strata that contain the cultural debris. Five flat brick and mortar features, visible at the ground surface, were investigated by shovel-shaving and are believed to be pads for piers that supported a wooden frame building. Several early photographs (circa 1905-1907) show a wooden structure, supported by piers, at about the same location. While the entire tract has cultural debris and was named the Presbyterial Institute site (and assigned the code 9PR17 by the Georgia Archaeological Site Files), its boundaries are unknown since all of the shovel tests were positive within the APE. No testing was done outside the APE. The recovered artifacts are so fragmented that functional identification was difficult at best. Since both the quality and integrity of the archaeological deposits are extremely poor, and early photographs and documents adequately record the structure that once stood on the tract, the site is recommended as not eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. No further archaeological work is needed to satisfy the mandate of Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act.