Phase I Archaeological Survey of the Proposed SR 3/US 19/US 41/Tara Boulevard Widening, Clayton County, Georgia. GDOT Project No. NH000-0001-04(060), P.I. No. 722030 HP No. 111122-001

From July 16 to August 6, 2012, EPEI conducted a Phase I archaeological and metal detector survey of a portion of Tara Boulevard just south of Jonesboro, Georgia. This Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) project would improve Tara Boulevard from Tara Road north to Flint River Road. The goal of the survey was to locate and evaluated in accordance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. The extent of the ESC, including the APE, will be reffered to as the project area. All work was conducted for GDOT under a contract with McGee Partners, Inc. The proposed project would reconstruct and rehabilitate the existing Tara Boulevard from Tara Road to Flint River Road. The existing four-lane roadway with an approximately 30-foot (9.14 meter) wide grassed median would be widened to six lanes, with the majority of the widening toward the median. The esiting right-of-way (ROW) is 200 feet (61 meters). The proposed ROW would be 250 feet (76 meters) in width, with expansions made symmetrically on each side of the roadway. The total proposed project area included all existing and proposed ROW, as well as al projected easements, defined as the APE, and an ESC amounting to an additional 100 feet of width. Prior to the commencement of fieldwork, a review of the Georgia Archaeological Site File and Georgia's Natural, Archaeological, and Historic Resources Geographic Information Systems database was completed. This search revealed that 11 previously recorded archaeological sites are located within 1 kilometer of the project area. Of these, two are located in the project area. Site 9CN4 is recorded as a nineteenth century historic non-Indian schoolhouse located at the souther end of the project area on the north side of Tara Road, approximately 75 meters west of the intersection of Tara Road and Tara Boulevard. Site 9CN64 is recorded as a pre-contact lithic workshop and quartz scatter located in the northern portion of the project area roughly 110 meters north of Old Poston Road, on the west side of Tara Boulevard. Both of these sites were revisited by EPEI archaeologists for this survey. Phase I archaeological survey resulted in the re-visitation of two previously recorded sites, the discovery of six archaeological sites, one historic cemetery, and three isolated finds. Sites 9CN4 and9CN64 are both previously recorded sites located within the project area. The former has been recorded as the Fitzgerald Schoolhouse is no longer extant and the land upon which it was located has been cleared and graded to clay subsoil. Site 9CN4 extends beyond the project area and could not be fully delineated and its eligibility for the NRHP is unknown. That part of the site within the project area has been severely disturbed and does not contribute to its overall eligibility. Site 9CN64 was originally recorded as a pre-contact lithic scatter of unknown eligibility. Close interval shovel testing of the recorded site location was negative for cultural materials. The eligibility is recommended as unknown with the portion of the site in the project area not contributing to its overall eligibility due to a lack of cultural remains. Site 9CN202 and 9CN205 are late nineteenth through early twentieth century artifact scatters, both of which are located entirely within the ESC of the project area. The parcel has been graded to clay subsoil and all spatial and subsurface integrity at the site has been compromised. The site extend beyond the limits of the project area and its overall eligibility is unknown; however, the portion within the project area does not contribute to its overall eligibility under Criterion D. Site 9CN202 and 9CN205 are late nineteenth through early twentieth century artifact scatters, both of which are located entirely within the ESC of the project area. The parcel has been graded to clay subsoil and all spatial and subsurface integrity at the site has been compromised. The site extend beyond the limits of the project area and its overall eligibility under Criterion D. Site 9CN205 extends beyond the limits of the project area and its overall eligibility is unknown; however, the portion within the project area does not contribute to its overall eligibility under Criterion D. Sites 9CN203, 9CN204, and 9CN207 are twentieth century artifact scatters. Due to the lack of intact architectural elements and low research potential, 9CN203 is recommended as ineligible for the NRHP. Site 9CN204 is situated in the APE and ESC of the project area. The site extends beyond the project area and could not be fully delineated and its overall eligibility is recommended as unknown, with the portion of the site within the project area non-contributing to its overall eligibility under Criterion D. Site 9CN207 is a small site in the ESC of the project area. The site extends beyond the project area and could not be fully delineated and its overall eligibility is recommended as unknown. The portion of the site in the project area does not contribute to its overall eligibility. Site 9CN208 is the Hebron Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery. EPEI evaluated the cemetery under Criterion D. Hebron Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery has several unmarked graves and no information has yet been found to identify those interments. Consequently, the potential for yielding additional significant data is unknown. Until such research is completed to determine the cemetery's research potential, EPEI recommends Hebron Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery as of unknown eligibility for the NRHP under Criterion D.