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Home My WebLink About20171211 Ver 1_Historic/Prehistoric Information_20170925 (2) Project Tracking No.: “No ARCHAEOLOGY SURVEY REQUIRED” form for Minor Transportation Projects as Qualified in the 2007 Programmatic Agreement. 1 of 8 13-03-0071 NO ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY REQUIRED FORM This form only pertains to ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESOURCES for this project. It is not valid for Historic Architecture and Landscapes. You must consult separately with the Historic Architecture and Landscapes Group. PROJECT INFORMATION Project No: B-5392 County: Cleveland WBS No: 17BP.12.R.68 Document: Minimum Criteria F.A. No: na Funding: State Federal Federal Permit Required? Yes No Permit Type: NWP# 3 or 14 Project Description: The project calls for the replacement of Bridge No. 201 on SR 1641 (Brackett Road) over Knob Creek in Cleveland County. The archaeological Area of Potential Effects (APE) for the project is defined as a 600-foot (182.88 m) long corridor running 300 feet (91.44 m) east and 300 feet (91.44 m) west along SR 1641 from either end of Bridge No. 201. The corridor is approximately 200 feet (60.96 m) wide extending 100 feet (30.48 m) on either side of the road from its present center. SUMMARY OF CULTURAL RESOURCES REVIEW Brief description of review activities, results of review, and conclusions: Bridge No. 201 is north of Lawndale, southeast of Cesar, and southwest of Belwood in the northern portion of Cleveland County, North Carolina. The project area is plotted at the center of the Lawndale USGS 7.5' topographic quadrangle (Figure 1). A map review and site file search was conducted at the Office of State Archaeology (OSA) on April 1, 2013. No previously recorded archaeological sites have been identified within or adjacent to the APE, but four known sites (31CL10 and 31CL93–31CL95) have been reported within a mile radius of bridge. In addition, no existing National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), State Study Listed (SL), Locally Designated (LD), Determined Eligible (DE), or Surveyed Site (SS) properties are within or adjacent to the archaeological APE according to the North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office online data base (HPOWEB 2013). Topographic maps, USDA soil survey maps, aerial photographs (NC One Map), and historic maps (North Carolina maps website) were utilized to gage environmental factors that may have contributed to prehistoric or historic settlement within the project limits and to assess the level of ground disturbance. Bridge No. 201 and SR 1641 cross Knob Creek east to west. The creek drains south into the First Broad River. These waterways are part of the Broad drainage basin. The APE is situated along hillsides rising out of the narrow Knob Creek floodplain (Figure 2). A very small portion of a ridge toe also falls at the APE’s western edge, but this landform occupies only a marginal area and will be unaffected. A large drainage ditch runs along SR 1641 in the northeast quadrant. The properties surrounding the project area are primarily forested, but pastures are present east of the creek. Overall, ground disturbances appear minimal to moderate with ditches and utilities alongside the road. SR 1641 also cuts into the western hillside as the road descends into the floodplain. Project Tracking No.: “No ARCHAEOLOGY SURVEY REQUIRED” form for Minor Transportation Projects as Qualified in the 2007 Programmatic Agreement. 2 of 8 13-03-0071 According to the USDA soil survey map, the APE is covered by two soil types (Figure 3). The floodplain consists of Chewacla loam (ChA). This is a somewhat poorly drained soil with a slope of less than 2 percent. It is subject to occasionally flooding. Due to persistent wetness, this series is not suited for early settlement activities and unlikely to yield important archaeological sites. The hillsides on either side of the floodplain are composed of Pacolet sandy clay loam (PaD2). This series is well drained but moderately steep with a slope of 15–25 percent. Generally, slope of 15 percent or more will not produce significant archaeological sites. Soil erosion is also moderate with up to 75 percent of the original surface layer removed. Pacolet sandy clay loam (PaC2) is found on the western ridge toe as well. Slope on this landform decreases to 8–15 percent. Although this area has the potential for archaeological site, it represents only a small and limited area at the edge of the APE. As a result, it is doubtful any significant deposits will be encounters in this area. From the soil review, it is recommended that no subsurface testing is needed within the APE. A review of the site files show that few archaeological investigations have been carries out in the vicinity of the bridge with only four sites (31CL10 and 31CL93–31CL95) identified. Site 31CL10 was reported by the North Carolina Division of Archives and History in 1978 for the Study of Abandoned Cemeteries. The site is known as the Mooney or Mauney Family Cemetery which dates to the mid-19th through the mid-20th centuries. Eligibility for the NRHP is unassessed. The remaining three sites were all identified by Legacy Research Associates in 2003 during the Cleveland County Reservoir project, which was conducted along drainages tied into the First Broad River that were likely to have been inundated. Site 31CL93 is a 19th–20th century farm and household just west of the cemetery. It is situated on a terrace overlooking Crooked Run Creek on the Pacolet soil series. It has been determined not eligible for the NRHP. Site 31CL94 is a prehistoric isolated artifact occurrence. It is situated on a ridge toe also composed of Pacolet soil. As an isolated find, it too is ineligible for the NRHP. Lastly, site 31CL95 is a prehistoric site that dates to the unknown Woodland sub-period. It is also found on a ridge toe made up of Pacolet soil, but it eligibility has yet to be assessed. Although only a few sites are known in the area, it appears from the results of the reservoir project that it is more likely for archaeological sites to be encountered along landforms composed of the Pacolet soil series, but slope needs to be less than 15 percent. An area such as this is found west of the project limits along the adjacent ridge toe that only minimally enters the APE. If the APE is to expand to the west, then further work will be necessary to investigate this landform. Lastly, a historic map review was conducted. Most early maps from the 18th and 19th centuries provide only general details concerning the region illustrating just major roads and settlements. For example, an anonymous pen and ink map of Cleveland County from circa 1868 depicts Knob Creek and little else other than a few unidentified roads (Figure 4). This makes it difficult to determine an accurate location for the project area. A road layout similar to SR 1641 is first recognized on the 1918 soil survey map for Cleveland County (Figure 5). However, the alignment of the road and its crossing over Knob Creek appear to be well south of the current bridge. If correct, then this map shows no structures in the vicinity of the project area. Subsequent maps from the early 20th century continue to illustrate a similar picture as seen on the 1938 North Carolina State Highway map for the county (Figure 6). As a result of these findings, it is unlikely any significant deposits associated with former structures will be impacted by the proposed bridge replacement. Brief Explanation of why the available information provides a reliable basis for reasonably predicting that there are no unidentified historic properties in the APE: The defined archaeological APE for the proposed replacement of Bridge No. 201 is located along hillsides and the Knob Creek floodplain. It is unlikely intact and significant archaeological deposits will be present in this area. This is due to poorly drained and wet soils within the floodplain and slope in excess of 15 percent along the hillsides. Drier soils and a fairly level ridge toe at the western edge of the APE is more suited for an archaeological site, but the extent of the project onto undisturbed properties in Project Tracking No.: “No ARCHAEOLOGY SURVEY REQUIRED” form for Minor Transportation Projects as Qualified in the 2007 Programmatic Agreement. 3 of 8 13-03-0071 this area is very limited making it unlikely a significant site will be encountered. Finally, the historic maps suggest no significant archaeological deposits from former historic structures are within or near the project limits. As long as impacts to the subsurface occur within the defined APE, no further archaeological work is recommended for the replacement of Bridge No. 201 in Cleveland County. If construction should affect subsurface areas beyond the defined APE especially to the west, further archaeological consultation will be necessary. SUPPORT DOCUMENTATION See attached: Map(s) Previous Survey Info Photos Correspondence Photocopy of County Survey Notes Other: Images from historic maps FINDING BY NCDOT ARCHAEOLOGIST NO ARCHAEOLOGY SURVEY REQUIRED 4/11/13 C. Damon Jones Date NCDOT ARCHAEOLOGIST II Project Tracking No.: “No ARCHAEOLOGY SURVEY REQUIRED” form for Minor Transportation Projects as Qualified in the 2007 Programmatic Agreement. 4 of 8 13-03-0071 Figure 1. Topographic Setting of the Project Area, Lawndale (1982), NC, USGS 7.5′ Topographic Quadrangle. Project Tracking No.: “No ARCHAEOLOGY SURVEY REQUIRED” form for Minor Transportation Projects as Qualified in the 2007 Programmatic Agreement. 5 of 8 13-03-0071 Figure 2. Aerial photograph of the APE showing development and landforms within and near the project area. Project Tracking No.: “No ARCHAEOLOGY SURVEY REQUIRED” form for Minor Transportation Projects as Qualified in the 2007 Programmatic Agreement. 6 of 8 13-03-0071 Figure 3. Aerial photograph of the APE showing development and soils within and near the project area. Project Tracking No.: “No ARCHAEOLOGY SURVEY REQUIRED” form for Minor Transportation Projects as Qualified in the 2007 Programmatic Agreement. 7 of 8 13-03-0071 Figure 4. The circa 1868 anonymous pen and ink map of Cleveland County showing the approximate location of the project area. Figure 5. The 1918 Soil Survey map for Cleveland County showing the location of the project area. Project Tracking No.: “No ARCHAEOLOGY SURVEY REQUIRED” form for Minor Transportation Projects as Qualified in the 2007 Programmatic Agreement. 8 of 8 13-03-0071 Figure 6. The 1938 North Carolina State Highway map for Cleveland County showing the location of the project area.