PN: 1664.012 March 16, 2007
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PN: 1664.012 March 16, 2007 ARCHITECTURAL INVESTIGATIONS FOR THE PROPOSED BEECH RIDGE WIND ENERGY FACILITY, GREENBRIER, NICHOLAS, AND POCAHONTAS COUNTIES, WEST VIRGINIA Prepared For: Invenergy LLC 7564 Standish Place, Suite 123 Rockville, Maryland 20855 Prepared By: BHE Environmental, Inc. 11733 Chesterdale Road Cincinnati, Ohio 45246 & Gray & Pape, Inc. 1705 E. Main Street Richmond, Virginia 23223 (804) 644-0656 Patrick O’Bannon Senior Manager Lena L. Sweeten Senior Principal Investigator ______________________________ Patrick O’Bannon Senior Manager Notice: This report has been prepared by BHE Environmental, Inc., solely for the benefit of its client in accordance with an approved scope of work. BHE assumes no liability for the unauthorized use of this report or the information contained in it by a third party. Copyright © 2007 BHE Environmental, Inc. ABSTRACT Invenergy LLC has contracted BHE Environmental, Inc. with to undertake a historic architectural survey for the proposed Beech Ridge Wind Energy Facility in Greenbrier County, West Virginia. BHE has requested though its subcontractors at Gray and Pape, Inc. that a historic architecture survey be conducted to inventory all above-ground cultural resources, including updating previously inventoried properties within the Area of Potential Effect. For the purpose of this investigation, the project’s Area of Potential Effect is broadly defined as extending 5 miles around the locations of the proposed wind turbines (approximately 165,000 acres or 258 square miles). The project Area of Potential Effect encompasses areas within Greenbrier, Nicholas, and Pocahontas counties, West Virginia. The wind turbine facility is proposed to be located along Beech Ridge in northern Greenbrier County, on land to be leased primarily from the MeadWestvaco Corporation. The project Area of Potential Effect was established in consultation with the West Virginia Division of Culture and History. In accordance with the terms specified above, fieldwork conducted in the course of this survey was designed to provide the client with definitive information on the current condition of each resource. Identification of potentially significant cultural and historic landscapes and districts also were within the project’s purview. The potential impact of the proposed project to the viewshed of the area will be discussed under a separate document. Within the project Area of Potential Effect, four historic districts were identified and recommended as eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. They are the Duo Historic District, Robins Fork/Boggs Run Roads Historic District, Williamsburg/Trout Historic District, and Friars Hill Historic District. Three thematically grouped resource types were identified as historically significant: Rural Churches; Rural Cemeteries; and Rural Schools. A total of 9 rural churches was identified that may be individually eligible and grouped in a multiple property submission. These churches are Eureka Church (NI-0027-0042); Liberty Methodist Church (NI-0002-0150); Beulah Methodist Church (GB-0038-0043); Rock Camp Community Church (GB-0038-0047A); Olive Baptist Church (GB-0038-0107B); McMillion Methodist Church (GB-0038-0181); First Baptist Church of Trout (GB-0040-0141); New Salem Methodist Church (GB-0040-0086); and Lacy Presbyterian Church (GB-0040-0186). Thirteen rural cemeteries were identified that are recommended eligible individually and as a thematic group. These resources are Field Site Numbers 00008; 00010; 00018; 00043; 00044; 00046; 00050 (GB-0038-0102A); 00351; 00367a; 00706a; 00755; 00775a; and 00793a. Four schoolhouses were recommended eligible individually and as a thematic group. They are the Boggs Run School (GB-0038-0071); a school located on a former farmstead (GB-0089-0115); Old Rock Camp School (GB-0038-0063A); and Old McMillion School (GB-0089-0075). Field investigations identified 21 resources that are recommended as individually eligible. They include 8 farmsteads (GB-0038-0041; GB-0038-0062; GB-0089-0117; GB-0038-0184; GB- 0040-0094; GB-0040-0087; GB-0040-0042; and GB-0040-0117), 11 dwellings (GB-0089-0125; GB-0038-0099; GB-0040-0056; GB-0040-0066; GB-0038-0183; GB-0040-0099; GB-0040-0097; GB-0040-0091; GB-0040-0118; GB-0040-0026; and GB-0040-0129), 1 commercial building (GB- 0089-0046), and 1 gristmill (GB-0040-0138). BHE Environmental, Inc. i Defining Environmental Solutions PN: 1664.013-001 A portion of the Monongahela National Forest is within the project Area of Potential Effect. If the proposed project has the potential to impact the forest, then further study is recommended to determine, first, if the forest is eligible as a cultural landscape and, second, if the parcel in the Area of Potential Effect would be a contributing component to such a landscape. BHE Environmental, Inc. ii Defining Environmental Solutions PN: 1664.013-001 TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ...................................................................................................... i 1.0 INTRODUCTION....................................................................................... 1 1.1 Project Description .............................................................................. 1 1.2 Acknowledgements .............................................................................. 3 1.3 Report Organization ............................................................................. 3 2.0 RESEARCH DESIGN AND PROJECT METHODS ..................................................... 5 2.1 National Register of Historic Places Eligibility Requirements ............................ 5 2.2 Background Research and Literature Review Strategy Methods.......................... 6 2.2.1 Intensive Archival Research .............................................................. 7 2.3 Previously Identified Historic Architectural Resources .................................... 7 2.4 Historical Architectural Survey Field Methods .............................................. 8 2.4.1 Field Methods............................................................................... 8 2.4.2 Interviews with Local Informants........................................................ 9 3.0 HISTORIC CONTEXTS................................................................................10 3.1 Project Area Location ..........................................................................10 3.2 Nicholas County .................................................................................10 3.3 The Monongahela National Forest............................................................13 3.4 Greenbrier County ..............................................................................17 3.5 Communities.....................................................................................25 3.5.1 Duo ..........................................................................................26 3.5.2 Clearco .....................................................................................28 3.5.3 Anjean ......................................................................................28 3.5.4 Williamsburg ...............................................................................30 3.5.5 Trout ........................................................................................31 3.5.6 Friars Hill...................................................................................32 3.6 Churches in Greenbrier and Nicholas Counties.............................................33 3.6.1 Baptist Denomination ....................................................................33 3.6.2 Presbyterian Denomination .............................................................33 3.6.3 Methodist Denomination .................................................................34 3.7 Public Education and Schools .................................................................36 3.8 Agriculture .......................................................................................37 3.9 Logging ...........................................................................................38 BHE Environmental, Inc. iii Defining Environmental Solutions PN: 1664.013-001 3.10 Coal Mining.......................................................................................40 3.11 Transportation...................................................................................41 3.12 Recreational Hunting...........................................................................42 3.13 Architecture .....................................................................................45 3.13.1 I-House......................................................................................45 3.13.2 Gable-Front ................................................................................45 3.13.3 3.13.3 Hall and Parlor ...................................................................46 3.13.4 Gabled-Ell ..................................................................................46 3.13.5 Folk Victorian..............................................................................46 3.13.6 Gothic Revival .............................................................................46 3.13.7 Greek Revival..............................................................................47 3.13.8 Farmsteads.................................................................................47 4.0 RESULTS OF INVESTIGATIONS .....................................................................49 4.1 Historic Architectural