Archaeological Survey of Clay Homes Public Housing Development, Cobb County, Georgia.

R. S. Webb & Associates (RSWA) conducted an archeological survey of the Clay Homes public housing development in Cobb County, Georgia to locate and identify archeological resources within the project area, and to assess the significance of each resource. The project area is located south of Roswell Street, just east of the town square, in the City of Marietta, Georgia. The construction of Clay Homes, completed in 1941, was funded by the United States Housing Administration to provide affordable housing for low-income residents. A residential neighborhood was located in this area before construction of the housing project. Two historic period sites (9CO679 and 9CO680) were recorded within the project tract during this survey. The decision to divide the Clay Homes survey area into two sites was a management tactic made arbitrarily in the field, and does not necessarily represent discreet cultural activity/habitation areas. Most of the artifacts recovered from these sites probably date to the early to late 20t' century, and much of the material was probably deposited after the apartments were occupied (1941 to the present). Two consecutive shovel tests at Site 9CO679 (Locus 1), contain some earlier historic artifacts, possibly dating from the middle to late 19th century. This areas also contains a higher density of artifacts than the remainder of the Clay Homes survey area. Historic map review indicates that these shovel tests are located behind (south of) a former house. The house, standing in 1911, fronted on a street named "C. Court" which no longer exists. Shovel testing indicates that Locus 1 of Site 9CO679 may contain relatively dense deposits of intact historic architectural and domestic refuse from the structure which was located on C. Court. In our draft report of the Clay Homes archeological survey, RSWA recommended Site 9CO679 potentially eligible for the NRHP under Criterion D (archeology) at the local level of significance. After review of the draft report, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Historic Preservation Division (SHPO) determined that Sites 9CO679 and 9CO680 are ineligible for the NRHP, and no further archeological investigations are necessary at these site.