Archeological Survey of the Proposed Augusta State University History Walk, Phase II Richmond County, Georgia

Augusta State University wishes to construct an enhanced pedestrian walkway along its western and eastern edges on the north side of its campus, along Arsenal Avenue and Katherine Street, respectively. These walkways would tie into proposed Phase I walkways along the northern edge of the campus. Because of existing facilities that must be avoided, the corridors for the proposed walkways are quite narrow, generally extending in from the campus property boundary not more than 9 m (30 ft). Total length of the project is 442 m (1450 ft). The University is applying for federal funds (Federal Highway Administration Transportation Enhancement Act funds) for the project, and for this reason, and because the project area lies within a National Register Historic District (Summerville), an archeological survey of the area of potential effect was required. Plans for the walkway have not been finalized and are partially pending the results of the archeological survey reported on herein. The survey was conducted on March 12, with a revisit on April 27, 2001. Archival information concerning resources in the area was gathered from a variety of sources, but primarily from maps in possession of Augusta State University archeologist Christopher Murphy. The entire campus has been designated as archeological site 9RI1045. Archival sources indicated that a ca. 1866 guard house, ca. 1866 driveway (Taylor Street in the 1920s), and portions of two buildings would be in the eastern project area, along Katherine Street. Adjacent nineteenth century private and military cemeteries were depicted along Arsenal Avenue, much as they exist today. Our survey revealed that the guard house and concrete driveway are intact. The two buildings, a manufacturing storehouse built in 1910 and a gun stock room built in 1942, have been demolished, but portions of brick foundations for both still exist in the project area. Probing around the cemeteries on the west side of campus was not effective in locating graves, but there is no evidence to suggest that graves extend beyond the fenced, clearly delineated boundaries of the cemeteries. Seventeen of twenty shovel tests excavated in the project corridor encountered mostly twentieth century artifacts, all of which reflect a pervasive sheet midden and layers of transported fill material. We recommend that the guard house, concrete driveway and remnant foundations are all significant aspects of the Augusta Arsenal Site (9RI1045). The guard house and driveway are standing and intact, and thus are architectural features, while the foundations of the two buildings are archeological features. We recommend that project designers consult with the State Historic Preservation Officer to develop plans that minimize impacts to the guard house and driveway. We recommend that one portion of the foundation to each building be exposed and recorded in a small excavation unit, and that attempts be made to incorporate the resulting exposed foundations into an interpretive display on the History Walk.