Cultural Resources Survey of the City of Hutto Transmission and Distribution Pumping Stations Phase I Project, City of Hutto, Williamson County, Texas

Abstract

This report documents the substantive findings and management recommendations of a cultural resource inventory conducted by Integrated Environmental Solutions, LLC (IES) for the City of Hutto (COH) Transmission and Distribution Pumping Stations Phase I Project in the City of Hutto, Williamson County, Texas. As the COH is a political subdivision of the State of Texas, the COH is required to comply with the Antiquities Code of Texas (ACT). The goal of the survey was to locate, identify, and assess any cultural resources, which include standing buildings/structures and archeological sites that could be adversely affected by the proposed development, and to evaluate such resources for their potential eligibility for listing as a State Antiquities Landmark (SAL) or eligibility for listing in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). The cultural resources inventory was conducted by Project Archeologist Anne Gibson and Archeological Field Technician Will Clow on 03 and 04 March 2020, under Texas Antiquities Permit No. 9196. The Area of Potential Effects (APE) encompasses approximately 6.63 acres (ac) and is comprised of three distinct APE areas. The Frame Switch Pumping Station (PS) is 1.2 ac in size and is located approximately 900 feet (ft) south of the intersection of Farm-to-Market Road (FM) 3349 and U.S. Highway (US) 79 midway between the City of Hutto and the City of Taylor. The Inline PS is 4.05 ac in size and is located southwest of the intersection of FM 112 and Williamson County Road (CR) 432. The Shiloh PS is 1.38 ac in size and is located approximately 1,700 ft southwest of the intersection of FM 481 and 482. During the survey, a newly-recorded, historic-period site (41WM1419) was documented within the APE. Based on the lack of association with historically-important individuals or events, absence of significant architectural features, the degree of prior disturbance, and lack of contextual integrity, site 41WM1419 is recommended as not eligible for listing in the NRHP or designation as SALs. In addition, four historic-age architectural resources were identified within the indirect APE during this survey. All records will be temporarily curated at the IES McKinney office and permanently curated at the Center for Archeological Research (CAR) at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA). No further work is warranted. However, if any cultural resources, other than those documented within this report, are unearthed during construction, the operators should stop construction activities, and immediately contact the project environmental representative to initiate coordination with the THC prior to resuming any construction activities.