Cultural Resources Survey of Mullet Hall Plantation, Johns Island Charleston County, South Carolina
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CULTURAL RESOURCES SURVEY OF MULLET HALL PLANTATION, JOHNS ISLAND, CHARLESTON COUNTY, SOUTH CAROLINA CHICORA RESEARCH CONTRIBUTION 498 CULTURAL RESOURCES SURVEY OF MULLET HALL PLANTATION, JOHNS ISLAND CHARLESTON COUNTY, SOUTH CAROLINA Prepared By: Michael Trinkley, Ph.D., RPA Nicole Southerland and Sarah Fick Prepared For: Mr. Kevin O’Neill Kiawah River Plantation, LP 211 King Street, Suite 300 Charleston, SC 29401 CHICORA RESEARCH CONTRIBUTION 498 Chicora Foundation, Inc. PO Box 8664 Columbia, SC 29202-8664 803/787-6910 www.chicora.org July 28, 2008 Revised December 19, 2013 This report is printed on permanent paper ∞ ©2013 by Chicora Foundation, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transmitted, or transcribed in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without prior permission of Chicora Foundation, Inc. except for brief quotations used in reviews. Full credit must be given to the authors, publisher, and project sponsor. ABSTRACT This study reports on an intensive property (38CH629 and 38CH1730-1732) were cultural resources survey of a nearly 1,427 acre identified during a 1999 survey for an adjacent tract, located on Johns Island in Charleston residential development. Site 38CH629 is a County, South Carolina. The work was Mississippian and nineteenth to twentieth conducted to assist Mr. Kevin O’Neill of Kiawah century scatter; 38CH1730 is an unidentifiable River Plantation, LP comply with Section 106 of prehistoric and eighteenth century site; the National Preservation Act and the 38CH1731 is a nineteenth to twentieth century regulations codified in 36CFR800. scatter; and 38CH1732 is a Woodland and nineteenth to twentieth century site. All four of The tract, which is located at the these sites were recommended not eligible for southern edge of Johns Island, bordering the the National Register. Kiawah River, will be developed for single family occupancy. While still relatively rural, Of the sites previously identified on the the surrounding area is being developed with Mullet Hall property, 38CH487 is described as a neighborhoods and commercial structures. nineteenth century slave row; however, there is some confusion about the site described as The proposed undertaking will require 38CH487A. The site shown on the topographic the clearing of the tract, followed by maps at SCIAA was recorded in 1980 during a construction of various infrastructure elements, seventeenth century survey by Stanley South such as roads, storm water drainage, and and Michael Hartley. While the site did not utilities. Individual lot construction will involve contain any seventeenth century materials, it grading, additional utility construction, and was described a “house ruin,” although no other subsequent building of structures. These description was given. The 1994 reconnaissance activities have the potential to affect of the property revisited 38CH487A and archaeological and historical sites and this reassigned the site number as 38CH1540, survey was conducted to identify and assess however the locations of 38CH487A and archaeological and historical sites that may be in 38CH1540 are still shown in separate locations. the project tract. For this study, an area of It is believed that 38CH487A is shown potential effect (APE) 0.5 mile from the incorrectly on the 1980 site form. proposed tract was assumed. Other previously identified sites on the An investigation of the archaeological property include 38CH1539, an area of site files at the South Carolina Institute of redeposited materials; 38CH1540, a plantation Archaeology and Anthropology identified four complex; 38CH1541, an eighteenth to nineteenth previously recorded sites (38CH629, 38CH1730, century main house; 38CH1542, two nineteenth 38CH1731, 38CH1732) in the APE. An century slave rows; 38CH1543, an eighteenth additional 13 sites (38CH487, 38CH487A, and century main house; 38CH1544, a nineteenth 38CH1539-1549) were identified on the Mullet century tenant site; 38CH1545, and late Hall Property during a 1994 reconnaissance by nineteenth century house; 38CH1546, a Chicora Foundation. nineteenth to twentieth century scatter; 38CH1547, an eighteenth to nineteenth century The four sites outside the Mullet Hall slave row; 38CH1548, Bishop Cemetery, and 38CH1549, a cemetery. Although only three primary properties during the antebellum examined at a reconnaissance level, five sites -- from west to east, the plantation of James (38CH1540, 38CH1541, 38CH1542, 38CH1547, Legare, Solomon Legare, and Benjamin Roper and 38CH1548) were thought to be eligible for (The Oaks). This historical research addressed the National Register. Four sites (38CH487, the economic activities of each of these owners, 38CH1543, 38CH1545, and 38CH1549) were as well as the convergence of the properties potentially eligible and three sites (38CH1539, under the modern ownership of Limehouse. 38CH1544, and 38CH1546) were recommended Detailed plats and maps were found to be not eligible for the National Register of Historic invaluable in the identification and assessment Places. of the archaeological resources on the property. The S.C. Department of Archives and The archaeological survey of the tract History GIS was also consulted for any National incorporated shovel testing at 100-foot intervals Register of Historic Places sites were in the on transects that were placed at 100-foot vicinity of the project area. There is one NRHP intervals along the roads running throughout property, the Bass Pond Site, located south of the tract. All shovel test fill was screened the Mullet Hall Property. In addition, twelve through ¼-inch mesh and the remains were historic structures (365-0380, 1391, 1392, and recorded. A total of 4,199 shovel tests were 1464-1468 and 1470-1473) were identified in the excavated along 375 transect lines. vicinity; they were recorded either during a Sites Identified on the Mullet Hall tract survey of James and Johns islands (Fick et al. 1989) or Charleston County (Fick 1992). Site Site No. Site Type Eligibility 365-0380 are the c. 1808 Shoolbred graves; 1391, 38CH487 slave settlement E 1392, 1472, and 1473 are unidentified structures 38CH487A not identified - that have all been recommended not eligible for 38CH1539 redeposited NE 38CH1540 plantation settlement E the National Register. Site 1464 is the St. John 38CH1541 plantation settlement E AME Church Cemetery; 1465 is the Hope 38CH1542 slave settlements E Plantation Cemetery; 1466 is the Freeman 38CH1543 plantation settlement PE House; 1467 is the James and Hattie Freeman 38CH1544 tenant PE 38CH1545 late 19th c house PE House (Brickley House); 1468 is the Mt. Hebron 38CH1546 historic scatter NE Presbyterian Church (St. Francis Center); 1470 is 38CH1547 slave settlements E the Promised Land Reformed Episcopal Church; 38CH1548 Bishop Cemetery PE and 1471 is the Lee Glover House. All resources 38CH1549 cemetery PE 38CH2240 pottery scatter NE are not eligible for the National Register except 38CH2241 historic scatter NE 1468, which was recommended eligible. 38CH2242 prehistoric & historic scatter PE 38CH2243 prehistoric & historic scatter NE In preparation of the field investigation, 38CH2244 prehistoric & historic scatter PE 38CH2245 historic scatter NE a detailed historical context for Johns Island was 38CH2246 prehistoric scatter NE prepared using a variety of primary sources. 38CH2247 prehistoric scatter NE Areas of special interest include the military 38CH2248 historic settlement E history of the island, as well as the development 38CH2249 prehistoric scatter NE 38CH2250 prehistoric & historic scatter PE of a plantation economy. Careful attention was 38CH2251 20th c trash dump NE paid to comparing the agricultural schedules for 38CH2252 historic scatter PE Johns Island with surrounding areas in order to 38CH2253 prehistoric & historic scatter NE explore events specific to the island setting. An 38CH2254 historic scatter NE area of the island’s history that has received far too little attention is the development of truck As a result of these investigations, 26 farming. The tract specific history took sites were identified. These include eleven ownership back to the late eighteenth century, originally identified sites (38CH487, 38CH1539- identifying that today’s Mullet Hall consisted of ii 1543, and 38CH1545-38CH1549) and fifteen The National Register assessment for newly identified sites (38CH2240-2254). The the sites recommends five sites eligible area of 38CH487A was revisited, but no remains (38CH487, 38CH1540, 38CH1541, 38CH1542, were found. In addition, site 38CH1544 was and 38CH2248), 12 not eligible (38CH1539, found to be located off the Mullet Hall property, 38CH1546, 38CH1549, 38CH2240-2241, so no further work was performed. 38CH2243, 38CH2245-2247, 38CH2249, and 38CH2253-2254), and nine potentially eligible For the newly identified sites, 38CH2240 (38CH1543, 38CH1545, 38CH1547-1549, is a prehistoric pottery scatter; 38CH2241 is a 38CH2242, 2244 , 38CH2250, and 38CH2252). nineteenth to twentieth century scatter; 38CH2242 is a prehistoric and eighteenth Finally, it is possible that archaeological century scatter; 38CH2243 is a prehistoric and remains may be encountered in the project area eighteenth to nineteenth century scatter; during clearing activities. Crews should be 38CH2244 is a prehistoric and eighteenth to advised to report any discoveries of twentieth century scatter; 38CH2245 is a concentrations of artifacts (such as bottles,