Archaeological Survey and Assessment, Elbert P. Tuttle Court of Appeals Extension, City of Atlanta, Fulton County, Georgia

New South Associates, Inc. has completed fieldwork for an archaeological survey and assessment of the proposed E.P. Tuttle Court of Appeals Expansion site in Atlanta, Fulton County, Georgia. The objective of this work was to determine the presence of archaeological resources in the study site and, should any exist, assess their National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) eligibility. The study area consisted of a paved parking lot south-southwest of the Cone Street-Poplar Street NW intersection in Atlanta. The roughly 0.1-acre parcel lies inside the Fairlie-Poplar NRHP District, which reflects Atlanta's late nineteenth and early twentieth century central business district. The proposed undertaking at the parking lot would involve making it into an entrance-exit for an underground parking area. Archaeological testing exposed cultural features and deposits that were designated Site 9FU533. Features included cellar walls from a circa-1890 duplex structure filled with late twentieth-century building rubble. Excavations in the building's rear yard exposed one indeterminate pit that also contained modern building debris. A third feature was interpreted as a bulldozer smear related to demolition as well. The work did not encounter any cultural deposits or features that could be clearly related to any of the known occupations of the site. Also, all of the artifacts that might reflect historical occupations were mixed with demolition deposits. These deposits have a low research potential. Finally, the test excavations exposed a large portion of the extant former rear yard of the duplex building without encountering significant cultural features or deposits and the unexcavated areas are judged to have a low potential to contain significant archaeological resources. The cultural materials in the project area have a low research potential. Also, except for the building foundation, the archaeological deposits found here do not clearly relate to the period of significance represented by the Fairlie-Poplar NRHP district. The building foundation, however, has a poor research potential and does not convey any distinctive qualities. Therefore, New South's recommendation is that the site is not eligible to the NRHP individually or as a contributing element to the existing district, and no further preservation or archaeological research is recommended.