Archaeological Survey of the Proposed Agri-Products, Inc. Facility in the Fitzgerald-Ben Hill County Industrial Park, Fitzgerald, Georgia

In February of 2008, Southern Research, Historic Preservation Consultants, Inc. conducted a Phase I archaeological survey for the Ben Hill County Development Authority. The survey was conducted on 73 acres and a ioo foot wide by 1,000 foot long road easement that are part of the Ben Hill Fitzgerald Industrial Park located on the east edge of Fitzgerald, Georgia just south of U. S. Highway 319 east (Figure 1). The survey parcel actually consists of three tracts (C, D and E) that total 73 acres. Agri-Products, Inc. proposes to construct a horse bedding manufacturing facility on a portion of this property. The City of Fitzgerald is seeking funding through the Georgia Department of Community Affairs' Employment Incentive Loan Program to develop the property for Agri-Products, Inc. As a result, the Ben Hill County Development Authority is required by the Georgia Historic Preservation Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources to have an archaeological survey completed in order to comply with the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) of 1966 (as amended). Section 1o6 of the NHPA requires that the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) must be involved in considering the effects to any significant cultural resources that could be impacted from any proposed development involving federal funding or licensing. The SHPO did not require a historic structure survey for this project. Currently, the property is characterized as a fallow agricultural peanut field that is wide open except for a scattering of a few large trees, mostly pecans. The property is bounded as follows: on the east by a small stream; on the west by Peachtree Road; a paved road that marks the western boundary of the tracts; on the south by the CSX railroad line; and on the north by construction of an industrial building. This entire area is considered the Area for Potential Effect (APE) of the archaeological survey. The archaeological survey focused solely on the lands within the APE.