Archaeological Survey, Firing Point 1, Fort A.P. Hill, Caroline County, Virginia

The Fort A.P. Hill Cultural Resource Manager, under the Environmental Division of the Directorate of Public Works within Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia, has completed Phase I reconnaissance-level archaeological survey in association with proposed development of Firing Point 1 at Fort A.P. Hill, Caroline County, Virginia. Firing Point 1 is an active live-fire range located in an impact area. The proposed development will include clearing of vegetation and construction of berms and targetry. The current area of potential effect for the project consists of a total of approximately 5.2 hectares (12.8 acres); however, additional development and future range-related construction projects are anticipated in the vicinity.

The objective of the archaeological survey was to identify any historic properties that may be located within the area of potential effect and evaluate the potential eligibility of any such resources for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places. Owing to the potential for unexploded ordnance, the investigations were limited to pedestrian surface survey. As a result of the investigations, one previously unrecorded archaeological site (44CE0564) was identified within the area of potential effect.

Site 44CE0564 is an early-to-mid twentieth-century domestic site, with a depression/trash pit and a poured concrete foundation. The site has been extensively disturbed by previous military training activities. The foundation and cultural deposits have been previously bulldozed, with artifacts typical of the late nineteenth- through mid twentieth-centuries redeposited in mixed contexts. Based on historical research, the site appears to represent an early twentieth-century structure associated with the Whittaker family. Site 44CE0564 is recommended not eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places under Criterion D, as the site lacks integrity and is not likely to yield additional information important in history. The site is also recommended not eligible under Criterion A (as the site is not associated with events important in history), Criterion B (as the site is not associated with persons important in history), and Criterion C (as the site does not embody distinctive characteristics, represent the work of a master, possess high artistic values, or represent a significant entity).