Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area Historic Resource Study

Gerdes, Marti; Messer, Scott

The Historic Resource Study (HRS) is the primary document used to identify and manage cultural resources (sometimes called historic resources) in units of the National Park System. The study area for this HRS was the region that includes the CRNRA and the surrounding area. This HRS has two goals. The first is to provide overviews of the study area’s history and the historic contexts that helped to shape the area’s cultural landscape. These overviews provide a framework for understanding the significance of the park’s historic resources. The second goal of the HRS is to identify the park’s historic resources, evaluate their significance within the applicable historic context(s), and evaluate their historic integrity. Evaluation of historic resources for this study primarily focused on extant historic structures owned and managed by the National Park Service, although certain historic resources outside Federal ownership were included at the request of park staff.5 National Register of Historic Places criteria and guidelines were used to identify historic resources, and to evaluate their significance and integrity. The HRS provides the basis for understanding the significance of the park’s historic resources and their interrelationships, and is a point of departure for the development of interpretive plans. In addition, it serves as a framework within which additional research should be initiated and new information incorporated. This HRS should assist park staff in managing, interpreting, and conducting future research on historic resources in CRNRA. The report is divided into five main chapters. The first chapter looks at the prehistory of the study area and the historic period before the Civil War. It includes discussion of the prehistoric inhabitants, historic Indian tribes, and early white settlement in the study area, as well as the development of its transportation system, agricultural economy, and industry. Chapter Two looks at the historic period during and after the Civil War and follows developments in agriculture, transportation, and industry in the late 19th and 20th centuries. This chapter also discusses the growth of the City of Atlanta and the evolving role of the Chattahoochee River, especially the impact of the river’s use for hydroelectric power generation and modern recreational activities. The third chapter is an inventory of the park’s extant historic resources, from prehistoric Indian fish weirs to 20th century resort homes. It includes a brief history and physical description of each historic resource identified, as well as an evaluation of the resource’s historic significance and integrity. Chapter Four is a brief overview of important cultural resources in the park that are not historic buildings and structures (cultural landscapes, archeological resources, museum collections, etc). It notes the types of studies that are needed to document these cultural resources. Finally, Chapter Five offers management recommendations for additional research on historic resources, their interpretation, and the management of museum and archival collections. This chapter also notes which cultural resources are most at-risk and merit special attention.

Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area Historic Resource Study

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