Archaeological Monitoring Along North Main and Soledad with State Antiquities Landmark Testing of 41BX2164 and 41BX2170, San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas

Date

2020-03

Authors

Kemp, Leonard
Zapata, José E.

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Center for Archaeological Research, The University of Texas at San Antonio

Abstract

From October 2016 through December 2017, The University of Texas at San Antonio's (UTSA) Center for Archaeological Research (CAR) conducted archaeological monitoring for the Downtown Street Reconstruction Project at North Main Avenue and Soledad Street (DTSR-Main/Soledad) under contract with Poznecki-Camarillo, Inc. (PCI) for the City of San Antonio (COSA). Supplementary project funds came from CPS Energy (CPS) and San Antonio Water System (SAWS) for the replacement of existing gas, water, and sewer utilities (COSA 2017). Additional ground disturbing activities included upgrading storm pipes and boxes, as well as laying electric conduits for streetlights. As a political subdivision under the Antiquities Code of Texas Section 191.003(4) and according to the Unified Development Code (UDC) Chapter 35, the COSA is required to consider the impact of ground disturbing activities to known or potential archaeological sites and/or deposits and to avoid or mitigate those effects. As such, the COSA Office of Historic Preservation (OHP) in coordination with COSA's Transportation and Capital Improvements (TCI), the agency managing the project, considered specific areas of concern that may likely contain intact archaeological features and deposits or features that are considered historical and culturally significant. The southern portion of the project lies within the Main and Military Plazas National Register Historic District, which was the primary focus of the archaeological monitoring reported here. This project was conducted under Texas Antiquities Permit No. 7816 issued to Dr. Paul Shawn Marceaux, the original Principal Investigator. Dr. Marceaux departed CAR in 2019. The permit was then transferred to Cynthia Munoz. Leonard Kemp served as the Project Archaeologist for the monitoring portion of the project and the testing of site 41BX2164. José Zapata served as the Project Archaeologist for the testing of site 41BX2170. CAR archaeologists documented eight new archaeological sites, 32 features, and collected over 2,000 artifacts and samples. The CAR also documented the location of a portion of the San Pedro Acequia (41BX337), which was already listed as eligible for inclusion to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). The location of this portion of the San Pedro Acequia was updated using the online TexSite registry. In addition to these sites, in situ sections of wood block street pavers (Feature 22) were found in the 100 block of N. Main Avenue. Pavers were also recovered in the 100 block of Soledad Street, but they were not in their original context. Of the eight new sites, the CAR recommends that two are eligible for inclusion to the NRHP and designation as Texas State Antiquities Landmarks (SALs). These sites are 41BX2164, associated with the Veramendi House, and 41BX2170, a site containing components from the Spanish Colonial and Republic of Texas periods. Site 41BX2170 also contained foundation remnants of the Wolfson Building, a nineteenth- and twentieth-century mercantile store. While both sites have been impacted by previous construction, they contained sufficient integrity to preserve intact deposits, which would add to the current understanding of these early periods of San Antonio{s development. The CAR recommends that 41BX2164 and 41BX2170 are eligible for inclusion to the NRHP under Criterion D (36 Code of Federal Regulations [CFR] 60.4). The CAR also recommends that 41BX2164 and 41BX2170 warrant SAL status because both sites can contribute to the knowledge of the Spanish Colonial Period and because they played a significant role in the history of Texas. The Texas Historical Commission (THC) and the COSA OHP concurred with these recommendations. Five sites are recommended as not eligible for inclusion to the NRHP. These sites are 41BX2163 (San Antonio Streetcar System), 41BX2166 (Jack Harris Vaudeville Theatre and Saloon), 41BX2165 (Bexar County Courthouse), 41BX2202 (Devine Building), and 41BX2203. These five sites had been significantly impacted by previous construction that affected their integrity, and none contained features (e.g., a midden) or artifact assemblages that would increase our knowledge of the Spanish Colonial Period or the history of Texas. The THC and the COSA OHP concurred with these recommendations. One site, 41BX2201, contained a Spanish Colonial-period wall and midden. The site was documented; however, no further testing was conducted. The CAR cannot determine the eligibility of the site to the NRHP based on the limited data collected. The CAR recommends that if the site is endangered by future impacts that the site be tested to determine its eligibility status. The THC and the COSA OHP concurred with this recommendation. Artifacts collected from the project, as well as all project related documents and a copy of this report, are curated at the CAR facility. The facility is a state certified repository on the UTSA campus.

Description

Keywords

Texas archaeology, acequia, San Pedro Acequia, San Antonio, historic archaeology

Citation

Kemp, L., J.E. Zapata, C.M.M. McKenzie, M. Pfeiffer, and R. Curilla (2020). Archaeological Monitoring Along North Main and Soledad with State Antiquities Landmark Testing of 41BX2164 and 41BX2170, San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas. Archaeological Report No. 462. Center for Archaeological Research, The University of Texas at San Antonio.

Department