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HomeMy WebLinkAboutArcheological Management Plan• An Archaeological Management Plan for the Urban River Parcel, Miami, Florida by Robert S. Carr, M.S. Dessa Lightfoot, M.A. Archaeological and Historical Conservancy 4800 SW 64th Avenue Suite 107 Davie, kL 33314 (954) 792-9776 ahchlgcl@bellsouth.net for Urban River Partners, LLC AHC Technical Report *581 March, 2005 2005.36 • Table of Contents List of Figures ii Consultant Summary 1 Project Setting 3 Land Use History 6 Archaeological Management Plan 11 References Cited 12 Appendix 1: Residents of Northwest 6th Avenue, 1925-1960 14 Appendix 2: Residents of Northwest 7th Street, 1925-1966 15 Appendix 3: Residents of Northwest 8th Street, 1915-1966 16 List of Figures 1. Map of the project parcel 2 2. Map of the Urlhan River parcel and area archaeological sites 5 3. 1918 Sanborn map showing the Urban River parcel 9 4. 1936 Sanborn map showing the Urban River parcel 10 5. 1963 Hopkins map showing the Urban River parcel 10 • • • Consultant Summary In March, 2005, the Archaeological and Historical Conservancy conducted an archaeological and historical assessment of the Urban River parcel. The project parcel encompasses + 5.4 acres and is located at 650 Northwest 8th Street, in Section 37, Township 53S, Range 41E, in the City of Miami, and is bounded on the north by Northwest 8th Street, on the east by Northwest 6th Avenue, on the south by Northwest 7th Street, and on the west by Northwest 7th Avenue. The applicant proposes to build a mixed -use mostly residential with some commercial use development on the project parcel. This assessment was conducted in response to the parcel's location within the Miami River Archaeological Conservation Area, as depicted on the map of the City of Miami Archaeological Conservation areas in the City of Miami Historic Preservation Ordinance 16-10, Chapter 23. No previous archaeological assessment has been done of the project parcel, and no recorded archaeological sites occur on the parcel. One structure built in 1923, 601Northwest 7th Street, is located in the southeast corner of the parcel. The parcel was occupied as early as 1915, and was largely residential throughout its earliest history. By the 1930s the parcel transitioned into mixed residences and businesses, which it remained until the late 1960s when it became entirely commercial and industrial. Currently, the project parcel is used for parking lots, industrial structures and warehouses. The history of the parcel is described in detail in the "land use" section of this report. The area of potential effect includes the entire project parcel, because ground -disturbing activities are planned for the entire area. It is not recommended that a phase 1 archaeological survey be conducted prior to clearing or development of the parcel because of a low probability of significant archaeological sites or features occurring on the parcel. It is recommended, however, that archaeological monitoring be conducted during subsurface work on the parcel, including any demolition, clearing, trenching, and excavations. Detailed management guidelines are presented in the "Archaeological Management Plan" section of this report. No schedule for construction or monitoring has yet been provided by the applicant. 1 • • Figure 1. Map of the Urban River Project Area Twp_ 53S, Rng. 41E, Section 37 Source: USGS Miami Quadrangle (1962 rev. 1969) 0 I/4 II? mile • Project Setting The project parcel, located at 650 Northwest 8th Street in the City of Miami, Miami -Dade County, Florida, encompasses ÷ 5.4 acres of land and is bounded on the north by Northwest 8th Street, on the east by Northwest 6 ' Avenue, on the south by Northwest 7th Street, and on the west by Northwest 7th Avenue. The project parcel is located in Section 37, Township 53S, Range 41E, and the relevant USGS map is the Miami Quadrangle. Natural Setting The parcel has been highly altered. Prior to clearing and development activities the parcel may have encompassed pineland. The parcel is located within the Atlantic Coastal Ridge and is underlain by oolitic limestone bedrock. This bedrock characterizes the Atlantic Coastal Ridge, a natural formation that extends north and south along the southeastern coast of Florida. Previous construction activities for the residences that once existed on the parcel, and their subsequent demolition have probably greatly disturbed the parcel's sediments. Natural soils are organic sandy soils, probably representing up to 50 cm of sediment on top of o©lithic limestone bedrock. Much of these soils are disturbed from developmental activities, and extensive fills and redeposited soils characterize much of the parcel. Currently, the project parcel is used for parking Iots, industrial structures and warehouses. Cultural Setting The project parcel is located in the Glades Cultural area, a distinctive geographic area of southern Florida first classified by Matthew Stirling (1936: 351-357). Archaeologist John Goggin further refined this area, recognizing distinctive sub -areas including the Tekesta sub -area, which encompasses all of southeast Florida including the project parcel (Goggin, 1947). The earliest documented visit to the Miami River area by an archaeologist was in 1869 by Jeffries Wyman, who made some cursory notes on his visit and conducted limited investigations of aboriginal mounds and rniddens on both sides of the river (Eck 2000, Gifford 1978). However, his assessments did not include any sites up the river. The earliest systematic investigation of archaeological sites on the Miami River occurred in 1884 when Andrew Douglass, on his ship Seminole, visited six different mounds in the area and excavated a sand burial mound south of the mouth of the river, uncovering only a ceramic bowl. Douglass classified the Miami mounds into two categories: sand and rock, and was of the opinion that only the sand mounds were of significance (Douglass, 1884). One of the mounds he visited was 8DA14, located near the north boundary of One Miami, Parcel B, prior to its destruction by the construction of the Royal Palm Hotel. 3 • In 1949, archaeologist John Goggin. created Florida's first site inventory and recorded seven sites at or near the mouth of the Miami River, including the historic village of the Tequesta, 8DA11, on the north bank of the river, and 8DA12 at Brickell Point on the south bank. Goggin and several of his students did some limited testing at Brickell Point, although he published no reports on this work (Goggin, 1949). In September 1956, avocational archaeologist Dan Laxson conducted excavations at the north bank of the Miami River at the site of the Dupont Plaza prior to its construction. His excavations uncovered a deep black dirt midden (Laxson 1959; 1968). In September 1958 through February 1959, Laxson dug at Brickell Point, stirred by the pending construction of the Elks Club there. He also conducted tests on the black dirt midden near the south bank of the Miami River in the vicinity of the Customs House. In 1978, Florida's Division of Historic Resources directed salvage excavations of the Granada site, located on the west side of the Brickell Avenue Bridge. This site represents the western portion of site 8DA11 and is located about 1000 feet southeast of the project parcel. This work resulted in the recovery of tens of thousands of artifacts, shell refuse, and animal bone elements (Griffin et al., 1985). It is worth noting that no outstanding features, such as holes cut into the rock (i.e. the Miami Circle) or prehistoric graves were encountered during that extensive investigation. Only one historic grave, that of an Anglo-Euro male from the mid-19th century, was discovered, and those remains were exhumed and transferred to Tallahassee. In 1979-1980, the Dade County Historic Survey was conducted, which resulted in the documenting of several hundred sites across the county and the creation of a county historic preservation ordinance in 1981 (Carr, 1981). In 1980, the county agency directed salvage excavations at the site of the last BrickeIl House, part of 8DA12, prior to the construction of a Holiday Inn (now the Sheraton Hotel), as well as the recovery of archaeological material during the excavations of pilings for the Hyatt swimming pool (8DA11). In 1998-1999, the Miami Circle, buried beneath fill and an underlain black dirt midden, was uncovered after the demolition of the Brickell Apartments at Brickell Point. This represents the northeast component of the Brickell site, 8DA12, located on the south side of the river, approximately two miles southeast from the parcel. At present, ongoing archaeological investigations at DA11, within parcels B and D, have revealed extensive evidence of prehistoric population, graves, and historic features associated with Fort Dallas and the Royal Palm Hotel. This site is approximately two miles from the project parcel. There are two recorded archaeological sites near the project parcel: DA5993, the Douglas Elementary School, located approximately a half mile northeast of the project parcel; and Wagner Homestead (DA1062), settled in 1855, one half mile southeast of the project parcel. 4 • Midden site i gn, 4 1A 5 99 i r a h DA3?='011 1].A 1037. .� DA960- 0•DA 1064 t 'DA?x3; -Vicinity of DAI i Figure 2. Map of the Urban River project parcel and area archaeological sites. co) = Vicinity of site Q = Prehistoric artifacts found male Source: USGS Miami Quadrangle (1962 rev. 1969) 5 • Land Use History The project parcel is located in the City of Miami, .Miami -Dade County, Florida and encompasses ± 5.4 acres. It is bounded on the north by Northwest 8th Street, on the east by Northwest 6th Avenue, on the south by Northwest 7th Street, and on the north by Northwest 7th Avenue. During the second Spanish occupation of Florida (1784-1821), the Spanish encouraged the settlement of non -Spaniards along the Miami River and Biscayne Bay (Gaby, 1993). John Egan (or Hagan), a surveyor for the Spanish, received a Spanish land grant for 100 acres on the north bank of the Miami River in 1808 (Parks, 1983). By 1825, John Egan, James' son, had been granted an additional 540 acres of adjacent land, increasing the size of the property to 640 acres, stretching west from Biscayne Bay to Northwest 7th Street, and extending north to what is now Northwest 1 lth Terrace (Hopkins, 1924). In 1830 Richard Fitzpatrick purchased the James Hagen donation and developed a plantation on the land, growing a variety of crops, including corn, bananas and citrus. In 1836, Fitzpatrick's plantation was destroyed by the Seminoles during the Second Seminole War, and the plantation was abandoned (Parks, 1983). Fitzpatrick sold his 640-acre property in 1842 to his nephew, William English, who re-established a plantation on the property. At that time a small number of settlers had established themselves along the Miami River, but settlement was frequently disrupted by hostilities between the settlers and the Seminoles (Parks, 1983). William English eventually abandoned his property following reports that an U.S. Inspector was killed by the Seminoles and in 1869 the Hagen Donation property was bought by Dr. Jeptha V. Harris from William English's heir (Parks, 1983). In 1873, Harris sold the property to the Biscayne Bay Company, and the caretaker for the property opened a post office and trading post in one of the old Fort Dallas buildings. The property to the west of the post office, which includes the project parcel, was planted with citrus (Parks, 1983). In 1877 the property was conveyed to J.W. Ewan, the nephew of the president of the Biscayne Bay Company_ In 1889, Julia Tuttle began purchasing the land that makes up the Hagen donation area, including the project area (Parks, 1983). The project parcel is about one half mile southeast of the Wagmer Homestead (DA1062), settled in 1855. The project parcel is in the extreme northwest corner of the James Hagen Donation, and due to its distance from the Miami River and Wagner Creek (Seybold Canal) where the large majority of pioneer settlement was focused, it is unlikely that this parcel was occupied until the first quarter of the twentieth century when residents were first documented on the parcel (Polk, 1915) and it first appears on Sanborn Insurance maps (1918). The land on which the project parcel sits was never subdivided. The project parcel is located on the edge of Historic Overtown. Miami had an African -American population as early as 1896, many of whom helped build Henry Flagler's railroad. They settled to the west of the railroad tracks in today's Overtown. Overtown flourished for many decades as a distinct, segregated city within Miami, and many prominent African American celebrities visited Historic Overtown during its heyday. However, the area began to decline with desegregation and the rise of expressways. A re -organization of the street names and numbers for the city of Miami took place in 1921, in an effort to create a more orderly street system, and to eliminate duplicate addresses and street names (Buchanan, 1978). The 1925 Hopkins map of Miami lists both the pre- and post -reorganization street names. 6 • • Northwest 8th Street, prior to the 1921 reorganization, was 4th Street; Northwest 7th Street was 5th Street, Northwest 6th Avenue was Avenue K, and Northwest 7th Avenue was Avenue L Northwest 8th Street (formerly 4th Street) was the early focus of development on the project parcel. The first structure listed for the project parcel, 1008 4th Street (what would now correspond to 620 Northwest 8th Street) is from the 1915 Polk City Directory. No other residents can be placed on the parcel until 1919 when four residences are listed in the City Directory for the project parcel (Polk, 1919) all on Northwest 8th Street. Only one structure is shown on the 1918 Sanborn Map, the first depiction of the project parcel, which indicates that these residences were most likely built in or around 1919. Development across the project parcel did not begin until the mid to late 1920s. Residential development was focused on Northwest 6th Avenue and Northwest 8th Street, including the Julien Apartments at 620 Northwest 8th Street, which occupied the project parcel until the mid-1960s (Polk, 1925, 1960). Businesses and warehouses were built on Northwest 7`t' Street, including the Royal Fulton Bakery that occupied the project parcel from 1930 until as late as 1966 (Polk, 1925, 1930, 1966; Hopkins, 1924). Northwest 6th Street remained residential until the mid-1960s, when those structures were removed to make way for a mixed -use industrial structure. For a complete list of residents see Appendix 1. Development on Northwest 8th Street was focused on the eastern half of the block, and was fairly sparse. Apart from the Julien Apartments, one residence is listed for the parcel between 1930 and 1940 (618 Northwest 8th Street) (Polk, 1930, 1935, 1940), after which it ceases to be listed. Additionally, in 1940 the Miami Beach Railway Storehouse is listed for 670 Northwest 8th Street (Polk, 1940) although that's the only time it is listed. The City of Miami owned a large part of the northern part of the parcel (lots 5-10) by as early as 1936 (Hopkins, 1936). These lots became the Miami Transit Company (650 Northwest 8th Street) by the late 1940s and a garage is listed at that address until at least 1966 (Hopkins, 1948, Polk 1966). Northwest 7th Street was industrial and commercial for the entire history of the project parcel. In addition to the Royal Fulton Bakery (later the Royal Baking Company), the Dade County Repair Shop (637 Northwest 7th Street), part of the State Road Department, occupied the project parcel for a large amount of the project parcel's history (from 1925 until 1949) (Hopkins 1924, 1948; Polk, 1925, 1949). Starting in 1936, The Utilities Land Company, later the Florida Power and Light Company General Stores Warehouse, at 685 Northwest 7th Street, also occupied the project parcel in the southwest (Hopkins, 1936; Polk, 1949). No residents were found for Northwest 7th Avenue, and development on the western third of the parcel appears to have been minimal throughout the history of the project parcel. Currently the project parcel is used for parking, industrial structures and warehouses. One structure built prior to 1950 inhabits the parcel, 601 Northwest 7th Street, built in 1923, which was occupied by the Royal Fulton Bakery (later the Royal Baking Company) for most of the project parcel's history. Several historic structures listed on the National Register of Historic Places are located within one Haile of the project parcel, including DA1654, the D.A. Dorsey House, at 250 Northwest 9th Street, the home of a prominent black businessman and developer of Overtown built in 1913; Mount Zion Baptist Church at 301 7 • • Northwest 9th Street, built in 1928, home to one of Miami's oldest African American congregations; Greater Bethel AME Church, DA2367, built between 1927-1845; DA2397, the Lyric Theater, built in ca. 1914 and once the focal point for social life in Overtown; DA2584, Dr. William Chapman House, located at 526 Northwest 13th Street; and the Saint John Baptist Church, DAS 127, located at 1328 Northwest 3`d Avenue. A complete listing of the residents of the project parcel is provided in Appendices 1, 2, and 3. 8 • • Figure 3. 1918 Sanborn rnap showing the Urban River parcel. Project boundaries 9 • Figure 4. 1936 Hopkins map showing the Urban River parcel. = Project boundaries c 5' bADE p-mc.AD DOT. . 1f (Oi(' / Figure 5. 1963 Hopkins map showing the Urban River parcel. = Project boundaries 10 • • Archaeological Management Plan This archaeological and historical assessment of the project parcel resulted in determining that no archaeological sites have been documented on the parcel, but due to the proximity of previously documented sites, a potential exists for archaeological material occurring on at least a portion of the project parcel. The project parcel has been disturbed by more than 70 years of construction activities on the parcel, but the presence of an -older structure, and several areas that have been minimally disturbed could mean that undisturbed sediments exist on the project parcel, increasing the chances of encountering intact archaeological materials. The western part of the parcel the parcel has a moderate to high probability for archaeological materials, as it has a shorter history of development than the rest of the parcel. Lots 11, 12, 13, and 15 have the highest potential for intact soils and archaeological materials, because they have no history of development. The eastern part of the parcel has the lowest potential for archaeological materials as it has been the most extensively disturbed by the construction and demolition of several structures. The only exception is Iots 23 and 24, on which a single structure has existed since 1923. The parcel is in close proximity to documented discoveries of archeological artifacts and sites, but because of its low potential for encompassing significant archaeological sites and remains, it is recommended that archaeological monitoring by a professional archaeologist occur during the early construction phases. Specific management guidelines are as follows: 1. Any archaeological sites or features uncovered during monitoring of construction activities by a professional archaeologist will be fully documented by the consultant archaeologist. 2. If a significant discovery is made, written notice will be provided to the City Archaeologist within 48 hours of discovery. If human remains are uncovered, then the guidelines provided by State Statute 872.05, the Unmarked Human Graves Act, will apply. 3. All recovered historical materials will be donated to the Historical Museum of Southern Florida. 4. A final archaeological report will be provided to the City Archaeologist. Archaeological monitoring is recommended, but an exact schedule of construction and monitoring has not yet been provided by the applicant. 11 • References Cited Buchanan, James E. 1978 Miami: A Chronological and Documentary History: 1513-1977. Oceana Publications. Douglass, A 1884 Diary on file at the P.K. Yonge Library, University of Florida, Gainesville. Eck, Christopher 2000 A picturesque settlement: The diary notes of D. Jeffries Wymans visit to Miami and the first archaeological excavations in South Florida, 1869. The Florida Anthropologist 53(4): 286-293. Gaby, D 1993 The Miami River and its Tributaries. Miami: Historical Association of Southern Florida. Gifford, George E. 1978 Dear Jeffie: Being the letters from Jeffries Wyman, first director of the Peabody Museum. To his son, Jeffries Wyman, Jr. Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Goggin, .lM 10 1947 A Preliminary Definition of Archaeological Areas and Periods in Florida. American Antiquity 13:114-127. • 1949 The Archaeology of the Glades Area. Typescript on file at the Southeast Archaeological Research Center, U.S. National Park Service, Tallahassee, Florida. Griffin, JW et al. 1985 Excavations at the Granada Site. Archaeology and History of the Granada Site, vol. 1. Florida Division of Archives, History and Records Management, Tallahassee. Hopkins, G.M. publisher 1925 Platbook of Greater Miami Florida and Suburbs. Philadelphia. 1936 Platbook of Greater Miami Florida and Suburbs. Philadelphia. 1948 Platbook of Greater Miami Florida and Suburbs. Philadelphia. 1966 Platbook of Greater Miami Florida and Suburbs. Philadelphia. Laxson, DD 1959 Three Salvaged Tequesta Sites in Dade County, Florida_ The Florida Anthropologist 12(3): 57- 64. Parks, AM 1983 Excavations at the Granada Site. Volume 3, History. Florida Division of Archives, History and Records Management, Tallahassee. 12 • • Polk's Miami City Directory 1915 Paik'sMiami City Directory. 1919 Polk's Miami City Directory. 1925 Polk's Miami City Directory. 1930 Polk's Miami City Directory. 193 5 Polk's Miami City Directory. 1940 Polk's Miamt City Directory. 1949 Polk's Miami City Directory. 1960 Polk's Miami City Directory. 1966 Polk's Miami City Directory. Jacksonville: R.L. Jacksonville: R.L. Jacksonville: R.L. Jacksonville: R.L. Jacksonville: R.L. Jacksonville: R.L. Jacksonville: R.L. Jacksonville: R.L. Jacksonville: R.L. Polk & Co Polk & Co Polk & Co Polk & Co Polk & Co Polk & Co Polk & Co Polk & Co Polk & Co Sanborn Map Company 1918 Insurance Maps of Miami, Volume 1. New York: Sanborn Map Co. Stirling, MW 1936 Florida Cultural Affiliations in Relationship to Adjacent Areas. In Essays in Anthropology in Honor of Alfred Louis Kroeber. Berkeley: University of California Press, pp. 3 51-3 57. 13 • • Appendix 1: Residents of .Northwest 6th Avenue, 1925-1960 Year 1925 1930 1935 1940 1945 1949 1956 1960 726 Northwest 6th Ave Tony Tosto Tony Tosto Tony Tosto Edward Merlin, furnished rooms F.D. Garcia F.D. Garcia Manuel Rojas Aurelio Colon, William Coleman 734 Northwest 6th Ave Vacant Elmore Daniels, contractor, rear Robert Wade Elmore Daniels, contractor, rear Robert Wade Edward Merlin Edward Merlin, rear Sydney Bayer Edward Merlin, rear Sydney Bayer Juan Gonzales, rear Jesus Torrez Fanjewell Richardson, rear, Nell Hollis 742 Northwest 6th Ave J.G. Thomas John G. Thomas John G. Thomas John G. Thomas Roland Simonvitch Roland Simonvitch Chas. Fisher Louise Williams 14 IP • IP Appendix 2: Residents of Northwest 711' Street, 1925-1966 Year 1925 1930 1935 1940 1945 1949 1956 1960 1966 601 Northwest 7th Street n/1 * n/1 n/l n/1 .Royal Fulton Bakery Royal Baking Co. Royal Baking Co. Royal Baking Co. Royal Baking Co. 613 Northwest 7th Street nil Royal Fulton. Bakery Royal Fulton Bakery Royal Fulton Bakery rill nll n/I nll nll 627 Northwest 7'h Street Jarrett Coffee Co. till nll n/l nll n/I nll n/1 n/1 629 Northwest 7th Street nll St. John Co. inc, contractors Vacant Miami Beach Electric Co. William Bordeaux, architect Vacant n/1 n/1 nll nfl 637 Northwest 7th Street Dade Co. Repair Shop Dade Co. Repair Shop Dade Co. Repair Shop Dade Co. Repair Shop Dade Co. Repair Shop Dade Co. Repair Shop n/1 n/1 n/I 685 Northwest 7th Street nll Phenix Warehouse n/1 n/1 n/1 Florida Power and Light Co., General Stores Warehouse Florida Power and Light Co., General Stores Warehouse Florida Power and Light Co., General Stores Warehouse n/1 *no listing 15 Appendix 3: Residents of Northwest 8`►' Street, 1915-1966 Year 1915 1919.. 1925 1930 1935 1940 1945 1949 1956 1960 1966 618 Northwest 8th Street n/1* n/1 nll Ellsworth Harrington n/1 Elma Boring n/I no return tail nil E i n/1 620 Northwest 8th Street W.F. Lee (listed as 1008 4th Street) Walter Bell (listed as 1008 4th Street) Walter Bell Julien Apartments Julien Apartments Julien Apartments Julien Apartments Julien Apartments Julien Apartments Julien Apartments nil 650 Northwest 8th Street n/1 1-LE. Fobes (listed as 1023 4th Street) n/1 n/l nil n/I n/1 Miami Transit Co. Garage Miami Transit Co. Garage Miami Transit Co. Garage County .MTA Garage 660 Northwest 8th Street nll H. M Talley (listed as 1027 4th Street) n/1 nil Vacant n/1 n/1 n/1 till n/I n/1 670 Northwest 8th Street n/1 A.N. Campbell (listed as 1029 4th Street) n/l n/1 n/I Miami Beach Railway Storehouse n/1 n/1 n/1 n/1 n/l *110 listing l 6