INTENSIVE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CRESCENT PLANTATION, BEAUFORT COUNTY, SOUTH CAROLINA CIDCORA RESEARCH CONTRIBUTION 226 ©2001 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. IN'flENSIVJE ARCHAJEOLOGilCAL SURVEY OlF' CRJESCJEN'f l?LAN'fA'fION, BJEAUJF'OR'f COUN'fY, SOU'fH CAROLilNA Prepared By: Michael Trinkley, Ph.D. Prepared For: Mr. Jay Thrower, ASLA Centex Homes 1533 Fording Island Road, Suite 308 Hilton Head Island, South Carolina 29926 Chicora Research Contribution 226 Chicora Foundation, Inc. P.O. Box 8664 a 861 Arbutus Drive Columbia, South Carolina 29202 803/787-6910 Email: [email protected] July 9, 1997 This report is printed on recycled, permanent paper oo AJBS'flRAC'f This study reports on an intensive cartographic survey of Beaufort County, we also archaeological survey of an approximately 650 acre conducted title search for the tracts at the Beaufort tract known as Crescent Plantation. The property County Register of Mesne Conveyances, as well as is situated north of Fording Island Road (now additional historical research at the South Carolina known as U.S. 278) between Rose Hill to the west Department of Archives and History, the South and lands primarily held by the S.C. Department of Carolina Historical Society, the Charleston County Natural Resources to the east. To the north the Register of Mesne Conveyances, and cartographic tracts primarily front marsh of Sawmill Creek and research at the Thomas Cooper Map Repository. the Colleton River. These studies have traced the survey tract The study was conducted at the request of back at least to the antebellum and reveal that Centex Homes in compliance with a Beaufort while the parcel was known as a plantation, it County Ordinance (Section 6.5 of Article VI of the appears to have been a minor holding. Zoning and Development Standards Ordinance) which requires an archaeological evaluation as part Our field investigations focused on the of the land planning process. This tract, as well as excavation of shovel tests, primarily at 100-foot approximately 150 acres of adjoining property intervals, since the bulk of the tract was either in forming a portion of Trimblestone Plantation, had woods or in overgrown fields. Some areas of the been previously examined at a reconnaissance level survey tract, because of low, wet soils and the about a month earlier. Based on the findings of the distance from marsh or creek frontage, were reconnaissance level investigation, this intensive surveyed using shovel tests at 200-foot intervals. survey was undertaken. As a result of our intensive investigations The background research for the on the tract, ten archaeological sties have been reconnaissance level study included contacting the identified and recorded with the South Carolina South Carolina Department of Archives and Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology as History with a request for information concerning 38BU1711 through 38BU1715, and 38BU1720 any National Register of Historic Places buildings, through 38BUI 724. Four of these sites contain districts, structures, sites, or objects in the study both prehistoric and historic components, three area, as well as the results of any structures surveys sites include only prehistoric remains, and three which may have been completed in the study area. additional sites revealed only historic materials. There are no sites in their files which are on the National Register and there has been no previous Of these ten sites, eight are recommended architec1ural surveys in this area. We also checked as not eligible for inclusion on the National the master site files held by the South Carolina Register of Historic Places, one site (38BUI 713) is Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology for any recommended eligible for inclusion on the previously recorded archaeological sites in the National Register and one site (38BU1715) is project area. Although a number of sites had been recommended as potentially eligible. recorded for the adjacent Belfair tract to the west and northwest, no sites were known for the study tract. In addition to utilizing our in-house documentation, including Chicora's previous TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Figures iv List of Tables v Introduction 1 Background 1 Goals and Methods 1 Environmental Background 11 Physiography 11 C/ifnate 11 Geology and Soils 12 Floristics 12 Prehistoric and Historic Synopsis 17 Previous Investigations 17 Prehistoric Synthesis 19 Historic Synopsis 29 Historic Synthesis of the Project Area 33 Identified Sites 41 Introduction 41 38BU1711 41 38BU1712 43 38BUJ713 45 38BU1714 51 38BU1715 54 38BU1720 56 38BU1721 58 38BU1722 59 38BU1723 60 38BU1724 62 Conclusions 63 Introduction 63 Late Discoveries and Ce111eteries 65 Site Locations and Methodological Considerations 65 Sources Cited 67 iii LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Project vicinity in Beaufort County 2 2. Project corridor on the Spring Island topographic map 3 3. Projected site probability zones 5 4. Survey methods used in the study tract 7 5. Soil survey for the study tract 13 6. Dense hardwood and pipe vegetation 14 7. Maritime hardwood with open understory 14 8. Old agricultural fields now in second growth 15 9. Old agricultural field planted in pine 15 10. H.A.M. Smith's Okeetee Barony map 18 11. Archaeological sites in the vicinity of Victoria Bluff and Foot Point Plantation 20 12. Map of the St. Catherines burial mound in the Victoria Bluff vicinity 21 13. Cultural traditions of the South Carolina Woodland Period 23 14. Portion of the 1873 Coastal Survey Chart 55 showing the project area 34 15. 1780 map of the project area 34 16. South Carolina Land and Improvement map showing the project area 35 17. Portion of the 1920 Okatie 15' topographic map 36 18. Portion of the 1937 General Highway and Transportation map of Beaufort County 37 19. 1934 plat of Crescent Plantation 38 20. Sites identified on the Crescent Plantation survey tract 42 21. Sketch map and profile for 38BU1711 43 22. Sketch map and profile for 38BU1712 44 23. Sketch map of 38BU1713 46 24. Shovel testing 38BU1713 47 25. View of shell on the surface in the site area 47 26. Testing locations and profiles of units in the northern third of 38BU1713 49 27. Sketch map of the south edge of 38BU1713 50 28. Sketch map and profile for 38BU1714 53 29. Sketch map and profile for 38BU1 715 55 30. Sketch map and profile for 38BU1720 57 31. Sketch map and profile for 38BU1721 58 32. Sketch map and profile for 38BU1 722 59 33. View of 38BU1723 from the dirt road 61 34. Sketch map of 38BU1723 61 35. Sketch map of 38BU1724 62 iv LIST OF TABLES 1. Artifacts recovered from testing at 38BU1712 45 2. Artifacts from testing of the northern third of 38BU1713 48 3. Artifacts recovered from shovel testing at the southern edge of 38BU1713 50 4. Mean ceramic date for 38BU1714 52 5. Artifacts recovered from shovel testing at 38BU1715 54 6. Historic artifacts recovered from shovel testing at 38BU1720 58 7. Sites identified in the survey tract 63 v INTRODUCTION was Dr. Michael Trinkley. The field crew included Mr. Gregg Dickey, Mr. Ian Hamer, Mr. Hollis A reconnaissance level investigation of the Lawrence, and Mr. Brian Young. A total of 207.5 Crescent and Trimblestone plantations person hours were spent conducting the survey. development tract was conducted by Dr. Michael Trinkley of Chicora Foundation, Inc. for Mr. Jay The study tract is bordered to the west and Thrower, Area Manager of Centex Homes, Coastal along a portion of the south by other Carolina South in late May 1997. The study tract developments. Much of the southern boundary consisted of two distinct parcels - about 650 acres runs along U.S. 278. previously known as Fording known as Crescent Plantation and about 148 acres Island Road. A small portion of the northern which was cut off of Trimblestone Plantation. Both boundary is also on an existing development are situated north of U.S. 278 and the Town of (known as Belfair), while most fronts Sawmill Bluffton, in Colleton River area just before Creek marsh. The eastern boundary includes a crossing over to Hilton Head Island (Figure 1). small housing project along U.S. 278, portions of Trimbleton Plantation, and the Heritage Trust The Crescent Plantation area has seen lands of Victoria Bluff (Figure 2). The portion of considerable development. To the west are the Trimbleton Plantation incorporated into the Belfair and Rose Hill tracts. To the east there are reconnaissance level study was excluded from this a number of smaller housing developments and intensive survey. what might be referred to as "strip malls." Also to the east of the study area is a large tract owned by Additional historical research was the S.C. Department of Natural Resources, part of conducted by the principal investigator on June 16 which is a Heritage Trust Area. and June 17. The collections of the South Carolina Historical Society were examined and an effort was As a result of that study (Trinkley 1997), made to locate duplicate copies of early seven sites were identified (38BU1711 through antebellum deeds in the Charleston County 38BU1717). We recommended that additional Register of Mesne Conveyance. historical research be conducted for the survey tract in an effort to more fully reconstruct its The laboratory work was conducted at the ownership. Further, we recommended that the Chicora labs in Columbia on June 18 and June 19. tract be subjected to an intensive archaeological During this work all materials were evaluated for survey, incorporating into our reconnaissance level conservation needs.