Southern Research, Historic Preservation Consultants, Inc.

08/29/2026

Southern Research is proud to be one of the 600+ signatories asking Congress to defend our historic and archaeological resources. Have any questions or want to share how our nation’s cultural resources have impacted your life? Drop them in the comments below!

Cultural Heritage Partners is a private law firm committed to the principle that cultural heritage is a human right.

08/21/2026

Near the community of Lewiston, Georgia, Southern Research conducted a data recovery of a small tenant farmstead prior to proposed development. During the investigation, a house pad with an intact brick chimney base, the remains of a likely hall and parlor or double pen dwelling, and a refuse midden were identified. The majority of artifacts consisted of container glass, wire and cut nails, brick fragments, and numerous agricultural related artifacts. The site area was part of lands belonging to Turner C. Clanton, who had acquired 720 acres along Uchee Creek in 1828. The property would remain in the Clanton family until 1944. It is likely that this site represents a tenant farm within the larger Clanton holdings. This excavation represents one of few tenant farms investigated in Georgia, providing insight into local history previously unknown.

This project was made possible because of Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. CCultural resources surveys, like the one that identified this site, are how we find and record our historic sites and properties. Proposed changes to Section 106 will weaken the protections that have been put into place to preserve our history, including limiting public involvement. For a guide to what’s going on, check out this link from the Archaeological Institute of America: https://www.archaeological.org/what-you-need-to-know-about-section-106-a-reading-list-to-help-you-understand-whats-changing-and-whats-at-stake/?fbclid=IwY2xjawTxYwFwZG9mBWV4dG4DYWVtAjEwAGJyaWQRMXU1YkRCYkR6cnhJeFYwT0xzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEe5i0CQZuvfFg_l0y_K3PPOqwCjUymrOMutxGlOmoci80MoqJZI7jULYLCNl8_aem_0gPjZsO1esy1jByDbRhW6A

08/18/2026

In 2024, Southern Research completed a survey of The Pocket Recreation Area and Campground located in Floyd County, Georgia. The Pocket was established as a recreation area in 1938 and was formerly the location of Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC) Camp F-16. The Pocket is characterized by the presence of numerous natural springs, one of which was encapsulated by a masonry spring box. We not only documented the recreation area and CCC camp remnants, including evaluating their eligibility for listing in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), but we also identified a broader and more intense Native American occupation associated with a previously recorded site.

Are you interested in preserving places like this? If so, find out more about how you can make a case for historic preservation in your own community here: https://savingplaces.org/stories/making-the-case-for-preservation?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=advocacy

08/11/2026

Prior to widening State Route 61 west of Cartersville, Georgia, and replacing the bridge over the Etowah River, the Georgia Department of Transportation hired Southern Research to conduct a large “data recovery” excavation of this Native American mound and village site located within the path of the construction. First visited by Smithsonian archaeologists in the late 1800s, significant findings from the Leake site excavation include the discovery of a large village, vast ditch enclosure, a possible Council House, and evidence of ritual and ceremonial interactions over hundreds of years. The site was found to be part of a larger local landscape that included a large cave in the mountain across the river and a stone wall enclosure on top of the mountain. The Section 106 work at the site lead to its recognition as a major ceremonial center dating circa 200 B.C. - AD 650, serving as a gateway between the Southeast and the Midwest within a vast ceremonial interaction network that extended from Michigan to Florida.

To find out more about this excavation, check out www.bartowdig.com. And for more information about Section 106, check out this resource provided by the National Trust for Historic Preservation: https://ow.ly/E3Y750ZtOmv.

08/07/2026

In 2011 and 2012, Southern Research documented the removal of multiple historic dams in the Chattahoochee River, spanning the riverbed from downtown Columbus to Phenix City. This work was conducted on behalf of Uptown Columbus, a non-profit organization, in partnership with the US Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile District and through a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with both the Georgia and Alabama State Historic Preservation Officers. Part of the MOA included developing extensive public engagement and involvement, particularly educational and interpretive panels along the river as well as developing a website (http://southres.com/uptowncolumbusdams/).

Through collaborative efforts including underwater scanning and HABS/HAER recordation, we documented timber dams and associated features constructed in 1828, 1839, and 1876 as well as a masonry dam that was constructed in 1907. These dams were associated with the City Mills, Ingersoll’s Mill, and Water Lots (AKA Eagle and Phenix). City Mills was considered the oldest and longest operating mill in Columbus and was the first water-powered grist mill on the Chattahoochee in Columbus. Today, this section of the river is considered one of the most exhilarating adventures for whitewater rafters.

This project, as with many others, was facilitated by Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. Proposed changes to this act are currently being considered by the ACHP. Help us preserve and document properties like this by contacting your representatives. You can contact your governor today using this link from the National Trust for Historic Preservation: https://support.savingplaces.org/page/101008/action/1?ea.tracking.id=Website.

07/31/2026

When Southern Research surveyed 1,100 acres south of Macon, Georgia along the Ocmulgee River we discovered a continuous, long-term usage and occupation of the tract by Native Americans from at least 8,000 B.C. until 1300 A.D. Numerous sites were discovered from the flat upland terrace down the ridge slopes to the swampy bottomlands. Among these were the remains of a probable Middle Woodland period earthen mound. An adjacent village with deeply buried intact deposits provided evidence of shell fishing around 1,500 years ago. The tract was also found to contain outcroppings of high-quality chert, which Native Americans quarried for millenia. These important sites and the property are now protected within the Ocmulgee Wildlife Management Area.

On July 24th, the ACHP voted to advance with the proposed changes to Section 106, effectively proposing mass changes to the process that will disenfranchise members of the public, tribal governments, and cultural resource professionals. The public comment period has yet to open, however, when it does, make sure to submit your opposition. In the meantime, contact your elected representatives and encourage them to fight against these changes. For more information about Section 106, check out this resource provided by the National Trust for Historic Preservation: https://ow.ly/E3Y750ZtOmv.

07/24/2026

Southern Research, Historic Preservation Consultants, Inc. was founded over 33 years ago to provide historic preservation and cultural resources consulting services to identify and document historic properties, which include archaeological sites and above-ground historic resources. Much of the work is driven by Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966. This act established the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) and created a State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) for each state and the national Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP). Section 106 calls for federal agencies to take into account the effect that their actions (via funding and/or permitting) have upon significant historic properties for a given project. It is designed to identify significant historic properties that need protection and/or mitigation from impending damage and/or destruction from a proposed action. This involves not only conducting field surveys, but consultation with the SHPO, Tribal Historic Preservation Offices (THPO), local historical societies and organizations, and interested members of the public to identify such properties. The identified resources are then evaluated to determine if they are eligible for listing in the NRHP. The SHPO reviews and provides comments on the findings of projects in their state. The current Section 106 process allows for input from the public and interested parties, meaning that the locals and interested parties have a say in a collaborative process.

The proposed changes to Section 106 will gut the current process. The changes remove the requirements to avoid, minimize, or mitigate impacts to significant historic properties. They change the definition of consultation and drastically limit the scope of consultations, effectively cutting out the SHPOs and THPOs. The proposed changes will allow agencies to decide to simply not assess the effects of their actions on significant historic properties. As a result, historic properties, both in the ground and above ground, will be damaged and destroyed. Tens of thousands of historic preservation professionals stand to lose their jobs.

Contrary to what some people may believe, Section 106 rarely stops projects. It can take time, and the process should be improved to make it more efficient. But the current revisions simply throw the baby out with the bathwater by dismantling the process. These changes will lead to chaos and confusion in the process and will cause delay and litigation. More importantly, it will put portions of our history at risk of being damaged and/or destroyed because the archaeological and historical work will not be done as it should be. People’s ancestors who lay in lost and overgrown cemeteries will be unknowingly bulldozed into spoil piles; Civil War earthworks and battlefields will be razed; Native American mounds and villages will be leveled.

People have been in this country many thousands of years, and as a result we have a deep, rich history that is all of ours to share in. Georgia alone has nearly 65,000 documented archaeological sites, with more being added daily. Over the coming month we will be sharing examples of what we have learned as a result of the current Section 106 process.

Unfortunately, the proposed changes are expected to be approved by the ACHP, with the voting deadline today, Friday, July 24. However, you have a chance to provide public comment on the proposed changes when they go on the Federal Register. We will provide a link to that once it is available.

Since the enactment of the National Historic Preservation Act 60 years ago, Section 106 has been the foundational requirement for federal agencies to “take into account” the effects of their actions on historic properties and places. The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation has proposed rev...

05/29/2026

May marks Preservation Month here in Georgia and across the nation. As we close out the month, here are highlights of some of the historic places we’ve been able to document this spring around the state.