Cultural Resources Assessment

Within the Mountain Island Lake Study Area, there are 36 previously recorded cultural resources including 6 architectural resources and 30 archaeological sites. Architectural resources include 4 single dwellings, a mill, and a mill village. The architectural resources range in date from the nineteenth to the twentieth century, with most of the resources dating to the nineteenth century. The archeological sites range in date from the Early Archaic to the Historic cultural periods.

There are 16 prehistoric archaeological sites for which we do not have enough data to determine their specific function. At a majority of the prehistoric sites, only a limited amount of lithic artifacts were recovered. One site is an historic Catawba Indian occupation. Two other historic archaeological sites consist of the remains of cotton plantations.

There are no archaeological sites listed in the National Register. An agricultural site, the remains of a plantation dating to the 1760s, has been recommended as potentially eligible for listing in the National Register. It is a domestic site from the Historic period that contains plantation ruins.

Two of the architectural resources are listed in the National Register. They are Latta Place and the Richard A. Rozelle House.

The information on both the archaeological and architectural sites from the state files is being used in preparation of the predictive model to assign the shoreline on Mountain Island Lake either a High, Medium, Low, or No probability for the occurrence of cultural resources. Prior to the completion of the model non-exempt activities such as excavation projects, commercial marina development, and certain conveyance projects will be provided to the appropriate SHPO for review before construction or excavation activity begins within the project boundary. To ensure the potential impact to cultural resources is properly evaluated after completion of the predictive model, Lake Management will review the predictive model for all non-exempt activities. Applicants for all non-exempt lake use permitting activities in medium and high probability areas will be required to consult with the appropriate SHPO regarding their proposal.