National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
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NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018 (Expires 5/31/2012) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Registration Form This form is for use in nominating or requesting determinations for individual properties and districts. See instructions in National Register Bulletin, How to Complete the National Register of Historic Places Registration Form. If any item does not apply to the property being documented, enter "N/A" for "not applicable." For functions, architectural classification, materials, and areas of significance, enter only categories and subcategories from the instructions. Place additional certification comments, entries, and narrative items on continuation sheets if needed (NPS Form 10-900a). 1. Name of Property historic name Pennyworth Island Plantation other names/site number : Cruger's Island 2. Location Bound by the Savannah River and opposite former plantations in SC known as street & number “Clydesdale” and “Rice Hope”. Deed Book 357 Y 286, Parcel # 1-0486-01-001 Not for publication city or town Vicinity Savannah state Georgia code GA county Chatham code 051 zip code 31401 3. State/Federal Agency Certification As the designated authority under the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended, I hereby certify that this nomination _ request for determination of eligibility meets the documentation standards for registering properties in the National Register of Historic Places and meets the procedural and professional requirements set forth in 36 CFR Part 60. In my opinion, the property _ meets _ does not meet the National Register Criteria. I recommend that this property be considered significant at the following level(s) of significance: national statewide local Signature of certifying official/Title Date State or Federal agency/bureau or Tribal Government In my opinion, the property meets does not meet the National Register criteria. Signature of commenting official Date Title State or Federal agency/bureau or Tribal Government 4. National Park Service Certification I hereby certify that this property is: entered in the National Register determined eligible for the National Register determined not eligible for the National Register removed from the National Register other (explain:) _________________ Signature of the Keeper Date of Action 1 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018 (Expires 5/31/2012) Pennyworth Island Plantation Chatham County, GA Name of Property County and State 5. Classification Ownership of Property Category of Property Number of Resources within Property (Check as many boxes as apply.) (Check only one box.) (Do not include previously listed resources in the count.) Contributing Noncontributing private building(s) buildings X public - Local district 1 sites public - State X site structures public - Federal structure objects object 1 Total Name of related multiple property listing Number of contributing resources (Enter "N/A" if property is not part of a multiple property listing) previously listed in the National Register N/A 0 6. Function or Use Historic Functions Current Functions (Enter categories from instructions.) (Enter categories from instructions.) AGRICULTURE: Agricultural Field Landscape: Conservation Area: Vacant AGRICULTURE: Processing AGRICULTURE: Horticultural Facility AGRICULTURE: Irrigation Facility DOMESTIC: Single Dwelling 7. Description Architectural Classification Materials (Enter categories from instructions.) (Enter categories from instructions.) n/a foundation: Brick pier walls: Outer stucco roof: slate other 2 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018 (Expires 5/31/2012) Pennyworth Island Plantation Chatham County, GA Name of Property County and State Narrative Description Summary Paragraph The Pennyworth Island Plantation site is located on the Back River extension of the Savannah River, immediately behind Hutchinson Island. It is a total of 178.1 acres; 169.66 acres of fresh water marsh, and 4.83 acres of southern maritime forest. Currently, the Island is very overgrown, difficult to access and has significant archaeological sites. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Narrative Description Environmental Setting The Pennyworth Island Plantation site is located on the Back River extension of the Savannah River, immediately behind Hutchinson Island. It is approximately 528 yards from the shoreline of Pennyworth to adjacent Hutchinson Island. Pennyworth Island is approximately 1.72 miles due North of downtown Savannah. It is a total of 178.1 acres; 169.66 acres of fresh water marsh, and 4.83 acres of southern maritime forest. The island is only accessible by boat, although it is visible from The Talmadge Memorial Bridge. The majority of the island is a freshwater tidal marsh with frequent intermittent patches of maritime forest upland. The most striking feature of the island, the rice infrastructure, is best viewed via aerial or satellite photography. The rice field technology of canals and embankments, is the predominant feature of the island. This man-made rice plantation landscape is evident in Chatham County aerials dating from 1952. The McKinnon 1825 map shows evidence of a rice mill and single residence on Pennyworth Island, owned by N. Cruger1. A later 1888 Blandford map shows a duplicate of the mill structure and single residence. 2 Period of Occupation Pennyworth Island Plantation was in use as a rice plantation from 1815 to 1894 and remained partially functioning until 1911. Identity of Ethnic Groups The vast majority of the plantation population was African American. The African American slave population was attributed to Upper Guinea, Senegambia, and the Windward Coast regions of Africa.3 Physical Characteristics Although an extensive investigation has not been completed, preliminary surveys, as well as an Army Corp of Engineers report from 1994, have determined that there are numerous archaeological sites on the Island. The features that have been found are all surface disturbances, as a subsurface excavation has not yet been done. Among the COE findings are a mill site and nautical vessels, as well as the evident rice field trunks and dikes. Due to the COE focus area limited to the coastline, further surveys were completed on July 16, 2010 and August 13, 2010 to survey the property. Along with the mill site, dock, wharf, and nautical vessels identified in the COE report, the inland features include a single residence and 2 unidentified structures. In the most recent survey, a dig with a working area of approximately two square feet, was located at -32.104751 -81.093202 adjacent to the original house location, according to Blandford’s 1888 map. The original house location was marked by a brick chimney remains and surrounding scatter. The 55 cm dig took place on the north side of the chimney. The dig location was chosen based on surface disturbances of fragmented ceramics. 3 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018 (Expires 5/31/2012) Pennyworth Island Plantation Chatham County, GA Name of Property County and State The estimated date range for the artifacts found date from the Civil War to 1915-20, at the latest. Several objects were sufficiently identified. All the artifacts were fragments and had been altered by a high temperature fire at some point. There were several pieces of melted glass that lead to the conclusion that the fire was most likely a structure fire. The only other, and less probable, possibility is that the occupants of the house had a trash pile that they burned. The proportion of types of artifacts found on site is very rare for this area and time period. There were a large percentage of porcelain dishware fragments. Also noted as atypical were many terracotta flower pot fragments. The more typical makeup of artifacts from this area and time period would include more utilitarian ceramics and not as much porcelain. Also noted were five ironstone pieces with unusual decoration. This art ware is a higher end item. The two oldest item types were a brown transfer print whiteware and a polychrome hand painted late variety whiteware. These items can be dated to 1840- 1870. 4 The evolution of Pennyworth Island Plantation, as a whole, has been dictated by the accretion and erosion patterns occurring from both human and natural impacts. The first noted map of Pennyworth by John McKinnon in 1815 shows a home of N. Cruger on the Eastern Back River side of the Island adjacent to Hutchinson Island. Cruger bought and developed the land by 1815 for rice production. The embankment, canals, rice trunks, and mill site were established at this time and remained through the entire period of rice production. Other human activities which affected the geography included the burgeoning of Savannah River as a trade port hub and deepening of the Savannah River channel; the industrialization and commercialization of Hutchinson Island including the Hutchinson Island Tidal Gate construction; the dike and jetty construction c. 1880, which changed the course and flow of the Savannah River, The shoreline has changed substantially, but even more so, the environment has been altered. The once fertile