South Pickett Street Properties (880/890 S. Pickett St. & 620 Burnside Place) City of Alexandria, Virginia WSSI #30318.0 Documentary1 Study & Geoarcheological Investigations May 2019 Revised July 2019 - Final Report Prepared for: Public Storage 701 Western Ave Glendale CA 91201 Prepared by: John P. Mullen, M.A., RPA, Anna Maas, MUEP, Penny Sandbeck, M.A. Daniel Baicy, M.A., RPA and Kathleen Jockel, B.A. 5300 Wellington Branch Drive, Suite 100 Gainesville, Virginia 20155 Tel: 703-679-5600 Email: [email protected] www.wetlandstudies.com ABSTRACT Thunderbird Archeology, a division of Wetland Studies and Solutions, Inc. (WSSI) of Gainesville, Virginia, conducted a Documentary Study and a Geoarcheological Investigation of three parcels (880 South Pickett Street, 890 South Pickett Street, and 620 Burnside Place) totaling ±7 acres in Alexandria, Virginia. The documentary research was conducted in anticipation of the planned redevelopment of part of the study area. The goal was to provide a contextual study of the prehistory and history of the property, focusing on evaluating the potential for locating intact archeological resources on the property. The study area was continuously subdivided, consolidated with other properties, and subdivided further throughout its history. It appears to have remained completely undeveloped until the 1966 construction of the building that stands there today. The study area has low probability for historic resources, but a moderate to high probability of containing prehistoric cultural resources that could potentially provide information about the prehistoric habitation of the region. However, the demolition, grading, and construction of parking lots and buildings in the late 20th century likely disturbed the archeological context of 880 South Pickett Street, 890 South Pickett Street, and 620 Burnside Place, though the degree of disturbance is unknown. A geoarcheological study was conducted April 23, 2019 and focused on determining whether buried surfaces, which could yield evidence of Native American occupation and activities, remain intact within the alluvial deposits buried under the fill layers. Testing at the 880/890 South Pickett Street property was disturbed; but a potential buried ground surface was located at the southern end of the 620 Burnside Place parcel. The remnant buried ground surface may have been available for exploitation by prehistoric populations for resource procurement but was likely too poorly drained for occupation. This area will not be impacted by the proposed construction. No further archeological work is needed. South Pickett Street Properties – Documentary Study & Geoarcheological Investigation WSSI #30318.01 – May 2019 Page i South Pickett Street Properties – Documentary Study & Geoarcheological Investigation WSSI #30318.01 – May 2019 Page ii TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................................ i TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................ iii LIST OF FIGURES ......................................................................................................... iv LIST OF TABLES ........................................................................................................... iv INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................. 1 ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING ..................................................................................... 1 CULTURAL HISTORICAL BACKGROUND ............................................................. 5 Prehistoric Overview .................................................................................................... 5 Paleoindian Period (15,000-8000 BCE)..................................................................... 5 Early Archaic Period (8000-6000 BCE) ..................................................................... 7 Middle Archaic (6000-2500 BCE) .............................................................................. 8 Late Archaic (2500-1200 BCE) ................................................................................ 10 Early Woodland (1200-500 BCE) ............................................................................. 11 Middle Woodland (500 BCE-900 CE) ...................................................................... 13 Late Woodland (900 CE to 1600 CE/European Contact) ........................................ 15 Native American Sites in the City of Alexandria ...................................................... 19 Historic Overview ....................................................................................................... 21 Settlement to Society (1607-1750) ............................................................................ 21 Colony to Nation (1751-1789) .................................................................................. 24 Early National Period (1789-1830) .......................................................................... 24 Antebellum Period (1830-1860) ............................................................................... 25 Civil War (1861-1865) .............................................................................................. 26 Reconstruction and Growth (1865-1917) ................................................................. 28 World War I to World War II (1917-1945) ............................................................... 29 The New Dominion (1945-1992) .............................................................................. 29 PROPERTY HISTORY ................................................................................................. 29 ARCHEOLOGICAL RESOURCE ASSESSMENT ................................................... 47 Current Conditions ........................................................................................................ 47 Proposed Construction .................................................................................................. 47 Previous Geotechnical Investigations ........................................................................ 47 Potential for Prehistoric Archeological Resources ....................................................... 47 Potential for Historic Archeological Resources ............................................................ 55 Summary and Recommendations ................................................................................. 55 GEOARCHEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS ......................................................... 55 Geoarcheological Summary and Recommendations .................................................... 60 REFERENCES CITED .................................................................................................. 61 APPENDIX I ................................................................................................................... 73 Scope of Work for Documentary Study ........................................................................ 73 APPENDIX II .................................................................................................................. 79 Scope of Work for Geoarcheological Evaluation ......................................................... 79 APPENDIX III ................................................................................................................ 85 Soil Bore Profiles .......................................................................................................... 85 South Pickett Street Properties – Documentary Study & Geoarcheological Investigation WSSI #30318.01 – May 2019 Page iii LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Vicinity Map........................................................................................................ 2 Figure 2: City of Alexandria Parcel Map ............................................................................ 3 Figure 3: 1612 John Smith Map........................................................................................ 18 Figure 4: Fairfax Patents and Northern Neck Grants ........................................................ 33 Figure 5: 1714 Plat of 4,629 Acres of Land...................................................................... 34 Figure 6: 1987 Mitchell Map Showing Fairfax County Landowners in 1760 .................. 35 Figure 7: 1862 McDowell Map......................................................................................... 37 Figure 8: 1878 Hopkins Map ............................................................................................ 38 Figure 9: 1900 USGS Quadrangle Map ............................................................................ 39 Figure 10: 1915 Soils Map ................................................................................................ 40 Figure 11: Spring 1937 Black and White Imagery ........................................................... 41 Figure 12: 1954 Black and White Imagery ....................................................................... 42 Figure 13: 1965 USGS 7.5' Quadrangle Map ................................................................... 43 Figure 14: 1967 Deed of Subdivision ............................................................................... 44 Figure 15: 1980 Black and White Imagery ....................................................................... 45 Figure 16: 1990 Natural Color Imagery...........................................................................