Public Education & Outreach
Man O'War Trail
Through a cooperative agreement with Harris County, Southern Research has created a series of educational and interpretive panels along the historic Man O' War Railroad. Beginning in downtown Pine Mountain, these panels allow visitors to enjoy a newly paved trail while learning about the local community and surrounding areas.
The Andalusia Farm Survey
Andalusia Farm was the home of celebrated author Flannery O'Connor (1925-1964); the Andalusia Farm museum is owned by the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia and is managed by the Historic Museums at Georgia College (of Georgia College and State University [GCSU]). The Georgia Environmental Policy Act (GEPA)Georgia statute stating that “State agencies should conduct their affairs with an awareness that they are stewards of the air, land, water, plants, animals, and environmental, historical, and cultural resources”. Government undertakings by any department, board, bureau, commission, authority, or other state agency (municipal and county included) often entail ground-disturbing activities, sale or exchange of state owned lands, or timber harvesting. (OCGA 12-16-1) requires state agencies and institutions to evaluate the effects of any undertakingProjects involving construction jobs, land planning, or resource planning efforts occurring on federal lands or where federal agencies provide funding, issue permits or licenses. Or approvals for projects on non-federal lands such as tribal, state, municipal, or private property. on the environment, which includes cultural resources Includes archaeological resources, historic buildings, historic structures, and historic landscapes. Commonly broken into two categories: archaeological sites and historic resources., and to mitigate any effects that may be adverse. Additionally, the State Agency Historic Property Stewardship Program (OCGA 12-3-55) requires that "historic properties under the jurisdiction of the agency are to be managed and maintained in a way that considers the preservation of their historic, archaeological, architectural, and cultural values."
Southern Research has completed four field seasons on the property, each season focusing on a new area of the farm, but building on previous results (June 2019, November 2020, March 2021, October 2021). Most recently, our work focused on an area with a dense concentration of 19th century cut nails, an unusual amount of slag, and multiple features suggesting a possible blacksmith shop. This would have been when the property was the Stovall Plantation, owned by Joseph and Mary Pleasant Bonner Stovall, beginning in 1814.
North Wilkesboro Speedway
In 2021, Southern Research was contracted by Speedway Motorsports, LLC. to prepare a National Register of Historic Places nomination for the historic North Wilkesboro Speedway. North Wilkesboro Speedway, located in western North Carolina, was completed in 1947 and was one of the eight tracks on the first NASCAR Cup Series schedule in 1949. It hosted races until 1996. This speedway includes historic features from several eras of the sport and reflects the growth of NASCAR from its roots in the 1940s through its tremendous growth in the 1990s. Recent efforts by the state of North Carolina, community members in Wilkes County, and Speedway Motorsports, LLC. has resulted in a plan for restoration and renovation of the track's facilities which spurred interest in listing the track on the National Register.
Investigations into The Historic Mill Dams on the Chattahoochee River
View our education resource here.