REPORT PHASE IB CULTURAL RESOURCES SURVEY AND HISTORIC RAIL FEATURE DOCUMENTATION BLOOMFIELD GREENWAY MULTI-USE TRAIL BLOOMFIELD, CONNECTICUT Prepared for BL Companies 355 Research Parkway Meriden, CT 06450 By Archaeological and Historical Services, Inc. 569 Middle Turnpike P.O. Box 543 Storrs, CT 06268 Authors: Brian Jones, Ph.D. Bruce Clouette, Ph.D. Ross K. Harper, Ph.D. February 6, 2014 Revised March 20, 2015 ABSTRACT The Town of Bloomfield, Connecticut, is planning construction of Section 1 of the Bloomfield Greenway Multi-Use Trail. The trail runs from Station 100+00 (Tunxis Avenue, Route 189/187) at the north to Station 186+00 (Tunxis Avenue, Route 189/187) at the south (Figure 1). Most of the Base Phase, which measures 8,285 feet (2,524 meters) in length, will follow the former Connecticut Western/Central New England Rail Line. The trail is planned to be approximately 11 feet wide. A 50-foot-long prefabricated bridge will span Griffin Brook, at the location of a former railroad bridge which is no longer extant. The Connecticut Department of Transportation (ConnDOT), Office of Environmental Planning (OEP), reviewed the proposed project and noted that the project area, or Area of Potential Effect (APE), possesses pre-colonial Native American archaeological sensitivity, and contains rail-related historic resources that are potentially eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. ConnDOT recommended that a Phase IB subsurface reconnaissance survey be conducted along portions of the proposed trail under current design that are archaeologically sensitive. ConnDOT further recommended that the eligibility of historic-rail-related features for listing in the National Register of Historic Places be assessed. Archaeological and Historical Services, Inc. (AHS) conducted the recommended cultural resources survey in December 2013. A very small Native American lithic flake scatter was identified during the survey. Intensive testing around the scatter, designated Site 11-13, identified no additional associated cultural materials. Site 11-13 does not appear to be National Register-eligible based on the low artifact count, lack of diagnostic artifacts or features, and compromised integrity. The site, however, may extend outside of the APE. A number of historic-period rail-related engineering features were identified and documented. None of these are considered to be individually eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places, and none are expected to be impacted by the proposed undertaking. In June of 2014, a 2,437-foot-long (743 meters) extension to the southern end of the Base Phase was tested at the request of OEP. From this section of the project, which was labeled Alternative 2, a small number of late historic-period artifacts and a quartz Lamoka projectile point were recovered from fill and disturbed contexts. No further work is recommended in this portion of the project area, as it is unlikely to recover intact cultural resources. i TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract …………...…………………………………………………………………………….…. i List of Figures …………….………………………………………………………………………….…. iii List of Photographs ………………………………………………………………………………..… iv I. INTRODUCTION AND SCOPE OF WORK ………………………………………………... 1 A. Introduction …...……………………………………………………………………... 1 B. Scope of Work …...………….………………………………………………………….. 1 II. PHASE IB SURVEY TASKS ……………………………………………………………….… 3 III. ENVIRONMENTAL AND HISTORICAL BACKGROUND RESEARCH ……………... 5 A. Environmental Context ………………………………………………..……………..…. 5 B. Pre-Colonial Native American Context ……………………………………………..…. 7 C. Historical Background of the APE Vicinity ………………………………….………….... 16 D. History of the Former Rail Line ………………………………………………..…….... 18 IV. RESULTS OF THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY ……………..……………………..… 19 V. RESULTS OF THE EVALUATION OF HISTORIC RAIL FEATURES …………………….. 22 VI. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ……………….……………………... 24 VII. REFERENCES ……………………………………………………………….……………….... 26 APPENDIX I Figures ………………………………………………………………………………………..…. 34 APPENDIX II Photographs …………………………………………………………………….…………… 58 APPENDIX III Test Pit Profiles …………………………………………………………………….………….... 78 APPENDIX IV Artifact Inventory Catalogues ……………………………………………………...………... 98 APPENDIX V Archaeological Site Inventory Form ……………………………………………….......… 102 ii LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1 Project area on USGS topographic quadrangle Figure 2 Documented archaeological sites within one mile of the APE Figure 3 1855 Woodford county wall map showing project area Figure 4 1869 Baker and Tilden atlas map showing project area Figure 5 1893 USGS quadrangle map showing project area Figure 6 1931 Dolph and Stewart map showing project area Figure 7 1934 Fairchild aerial photograph showing project area Figure 8 ca. 1925 photograph of Central New England Railroad in Bloomfield Figure 9 ca. 1925 photograph of Barnards Station Figure 10 Overview of Base Phase shovel test pits on USGS topographic map Figure 11 Location of engineering features along rail line depicted on USGS topographic map Figure 12 Project plans with railroad features identified in Base Phase Figure 13 Project plans with railroad features identified in Base Phase Figure 14 Project plans with railroad features identified in Base Phase Figure 15 Project plans with railroad features identified in Base Phase Figure 16 Project plans with railroad features identified in Base Phase Figure 17 Project plans with railroad features identified in Base Phase Figure 18 Project plans with shovel test pits identified in Base Phase Figure 19 Project plans with shovel test pits identified in Base Phase Figure 20 Project plans with shovel test pits identified in Base Phase Figure 21 Project plans of showing areas of disturbance in Alternative 2 Figure 22 Project plans showing areas of disturbance in Alternative 2 Figure 23 Project plans showing areas of disturbance and shovel test pits in Alternative 2 iii LIST OF PHOTOGRAPHS Photograph 1 Excavation of shovel test pit A1 Photograph 2 Modern culvert near Station 25+00 Photograph 3 Modern culvert near Station 39+00 Photograph 4 Rock cut near Station 54+00 Photograph 5 Second rock cut near Station 54+00 Photograph 6 Rail-top culvert near Station 59+00 Photograph 7 Rail-top culvert near Station 59+00 Photograph 8 Rail-top culvert near Station 59+00 Photograph 9 Stone-slab culvert near Station 61+00 Photograph 10 Stone-slab culvert near Station 61+00 Photograph 11 Stone-slab culvert near Station 61+00 Photograph 12 West side of embankment through which the culvert near Station 61+00 passes Photograph 13 South Griffin bridge abutment near Station 66+00 Photograph 14 North Griffin bridge abutment near Station 66+00 Photograph 15 Modern pipe culvert near Station 83+00 Photograph 16 Concrete-slab culvert/bridge near Station 94+00 Photograph 17 Concrete-slab culvert/bridge near Station 94+00 Photograph 18 Concrete-slab culvert/bridge near Station 94+00 Photograph 19 Late Archaic-period quartz Lamoka projectile point recovered from test pit AT2-3 iv I. INTRODUCTION AND SCOPE OF WORK A. Introduction The Town of Bloomfield, Connecticut, is planning the design and construction of Section 1 (the Base Phase) of the Bloomfield Greenway Multi-Use Trail. The trail runs from Station 100+00 (Tunxis Avenue, Route 189/187) at the north to Station 186+00 (Tunxis Avenue, Route 189/187) at the south (Figure 1). Most of the Base Phase will follow the former Connecticut Western/Central New England rail line. The trail is planned to be approximately 8, 285 feet (2524 m) long and 11 feet (3.4 m) wide. Near Station 100+00, Tunxis Avenue, grading and the construction of a parallel switchback handicapped- access ramp are planned. A 50-foot-long prefabricated bridge will span Griffin Brook, at the location of a former railroad bridge, no longer extant. In June of 2014 the Alternative 2 section of the Multi-Use Trail was added to the southern end of the project. Alternative 2 is 2437 feet (743 m) long; it follows a short section of Route 187/189 and Tunxis Avenue (Route 189) and it terminates on Day Hill Road (Figure 1). The Connecticut Department of Transportation (ConnDOT), Office of Environmental Planning (OEP), reviewed the proposed project and noted that the project area, or Area of Potential Effect (APE), possesses pre-colonial Native American archaeological sensitivity and contains rail-related historic resources that are potentially eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. ConnDOT recommended that “Phase IB subsurface reconnaissance survey be conducted along virtually the entire length of Phase C and the northernmost section of Phase A [both contained in Section 1 or the Base Phase in the project’s current nomenclature]”; these portions of the APE were considered archaeologically sensitive based on the proximity to an array of pre-colonial Native American sites identified along Griffin Brook and the Farmington River (Speal 2013). ConnDOT further recommended that the National Register of Historic Places eligibility of historic rail-related features along the trail be assessed. ConnDOT’s recommendations were made in accordance with the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended, which requires federally-assisted or permitted undertakings to take into account their efforts on cultural (i.e., archaeological and/or historical) resources listed in or eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. Archaeological and Historical Services, Inc. (AHS) conducted the recommended cultural resources survey under contract to BL