Cultural Resource Assessment Survey of the Sumter Gardens Parcels, Sumter County, Florida
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CULTURAL RESOURCE ASSESSMENT SURVEY OF THE SUMTER GARDENS PARCELS, SUMTER COUNTY, FLORIDA SEARCH PROJECT NO. 3506‐15168V PREPARED FOR SUMTER PARTNERS, LLC BY SEARCH SEPTEMBER 2015 CULTURAL RESOURCE ASSESSMENT SURVEY OF THE SUMTER GARDENS PARCELS, SUMTER COUNTY, FLORIDA SEARCH PROJECT NO. 3506‐15168V PREPARED FOR SUMTER PARTNERS, LLC. PREPARED BY SEARCH ___________________________________ BRUCE NODINE, MA, RPA PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR, ARCHAEOLOGY WWW.SEARCHINC.COM SEPTEMBER 2015 SEARCH September 2015 CRAS for the Sumter Gardens Parcels, Sumter County, Florida Final Report EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This report presents the findings of a Phase I cultural resource assessment survey conducted in support of development of parcels in west Bushnell, Sumter County, Florida. Sumter Partners, LLC is developing the Sumter Gardens project on parcels N18=012 and N18=013. The Florida State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) requested a cultural resource assessment survey. This document fulfills that request. The project Area of Potential Effect (APE) was considered to be the entirety of the parcels. The archaeological survey included a pedestrian inspection and the excavation of 14 shovel tests within the APE. Ponding from historic excavation within the APE precluded the excavation of further tests. One shovel test contained cultural material and a single surface find location was recorded. These historic materials were recorded with the Florida Master Site File (FMSF) as 8SM00793. No historic structures were encountered as part of this survey. The artifacts were recovered in a highly disturbed area and do not meet the criteria to be considered eligible for the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). No further archaeological work is recommended. Based on the results of this investigation, it is the opinion of the Principal Investigator that the proposed undertaking will have no effect on cultural resources eligible for listing in the NRHP. No further work is recommended. iii September 2015 SEARCH Final Report CRAS for the Sumter Gardens Parcels, Sumter County, Florida This page intentionally left blank. iv SEARCH September 2015 CRAS for the Sumter Gardens Parcels, Sumter County, Florida Final Report TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary ......................................................................................................................... iii Table of Contents ............................................................................................................................. v List of Figures .................................................................................................................................. vi List of Tables ................................................................................................................................... vi Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 1 Project Location and Environment ................................................................................................. 4 Location and Modern Conditions ............................................................................................. 4 Paleoenvironment .................................................................................................................... 4 Historic Overview ............................................................................................................................ 6 Native American Culture History .............................................................................................. 6 Paleoindian Period (10,000‐8000 BC) ................................................................................. 6 Archaic Period (8000‐500 BC) ............................................................................................. 7 St. Johns Tradition (500 BC‐AD 1565) ................................................................................. 8 Post‐Contact History ............................................................................................................... 10 The Seminoles ................................................................................................................... 11 The Seminole Wars ........................................................................................................... 12 Sumter County History ...................................................................................................... 15 Background Research ................................................................................................................... 18 Florida Master Site File Review ............................................................................................... 18 Historic Map and Aerial Photograph Review .......................................................................... 20 Research Design ............................................................................................................................ 27 Project Goals ........................................................................................................................... 27 NRHP Criteria .......................................................................................................................... 27 Cultural Resource Potential .................................................................................................... 28 Survey Methods ...................................................................................................................... 28 Archaeological Field Methods .......................................................................................... 28 Architectural Field Methods ............................................................................................. 29 Laboratory Methods ......................................................................................................... 29 Curation ............................................................................................................................ 29 Informant Interviews ........................................................................................................ 29 Certified Local Government Consultation ........................................................................ 30 Procedures to Deal with Unexpected Discoveries ............................................................ 30 Results ........................................................................................................................................... 31 Archaeological Resource – 8SM00793.................................................................................... 31 Architectural Resources .......................................................................................................... 36 Conclusion and Recommendations .............................................................................................. 37 References Cited ........................................................................................................................... 38 Appendix A: FDHR Correspondence Appendix B: FDHR Survey Log Sheet and FMSF Form v September 2015 SEARCH Final Report CRAS for the Sumter Gardens Parcels, Sumter County, Florida LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Sumter Gardens project location, Sumter County, Florida .......................................... 2 Figure 2. Sumter Gardens APE, Sumter County, Florida .............................................................. 3 Figure 3. Soil map units within and near the Sumter Gardens project ....................................... 5 Figure 4. Hernando de Soto ....................................................................................................... 10 Figure 5. Governor Andrew Jackson reviewing troops during the Seminole Wars ................... 12 Figure 6. Troops viewing the demise of Major Dade and his command, ca. 1835 ................... 13 Figure 7. Brigadier General Thomas Sumter, ca. 1800s ............................................................ 15 Figure 8. Previously recorded resources in the vicinity of the Sumter Gardens project .......... 19 Figure 9. 1845 and 1849O GL maps showing the project area outlined in blue ....................... 21 Figure 10. Detail from Annual Report of the Surveyor General for 1859, showing this part of Sumter County ............................................................................................................ 22 Figure 11. Portion of 1936 Florida Department of Transportation map of Sumter County, showing development near the project area ............................................................. 22 Figure 12. Aerial photograph of the Sumter Gardens project area from 1941 ........................... 23 Figure 13. USGS Wahoo Quadrangle from 1958 showing a structure in the project area ......... 24 Figure 14. Aerial photograph of the Sumter Gardens project area in 1964 ................................ 25 Figure 15. Aerial photograph of the Sumter Gardens project area from 1969 ........................... 26 Figure 16. Representative views of the Sumter Gardens project area ....................................... 32 Figure 17. Survey results within the Sumter Gardens project area ............................................ 33 Figure 18. View of 8SM00793, looking north toward SR 48 ........................................................ 35 LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Precolumbian Culture History of Central Florida .........................................................