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Agency
Texas Historical Commission
Abstract
The Uvalde County Hospital Authority has applied for a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development funding to demolish its existing Uvalde Memorial Hospital complex and construct a new hospital and associated facilities. The new complex will be constructed on an undeveloped 11.5-acre tract immediately south of the existing complex. Those facilities proposed for demolition consist of the original Uvalde Memorial Hospital building, the current main hospital building, a warehouse building, and the central plant building. The original hospital building dates to 1949 while all other buildings to be demolished date to 1971 or later. The Kate Marmion Regional Cancer Medical Center which was built in 2011 will not be demolished according to the current plan. New facilities to be constructed consist of a new hospital building, new warehouse and central plant buildings, and associated parking lots.
At the request of the State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) at the Texas Historical Commission (THC), Applied Archeological Sciences, Inc. (AASI) conducted an archeological survey of the 11.5 acre undeveloped portion of the Area of Potential Effect (APE) in February 2017. Additionally, at the SHPO's request, AASI photographed the exterior 1949- era hospital building. The purpose of the investigations was to identify and determine the potential impacts to any historic properties that may be eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) and/or eligible for formal designation as State Archeological Landmarks (SAL) in accordance with the National Historic Preservation Act as amended, and the Antiquities Code of Texas, respectively.
The entire 11.5 acre was surveyed with one new archeological site, 41UV505, being recorded and assessed. This site is a prehistoric open campsite that is situated in the southwestern corner of the survey area. The site also extends southward outside the project area. Cultural materials found within the 40 to 60 cm thick deposits are sparse and are restricted to chert chipping debris, an edge-modified chert flake, a chert core, and small burned rock fragments. No intact prehistoric features or diagnostic artifacts were found. The portion of site 41UV505 within the project area is recommended as not eligible for listing on the NRHP and not eligible for formal designation as a SAL. No additional archeological investigations at 41UV505 are recommended.
Photographs of the 1949-era hospital building have been submitted with this draft report for review by the SHPO. Demolition of this building should not move forward until the SHPO has completed review of this building.
No artifacts were collected during the project. All records associated with the archeological investigation will be curated at the Center for Archeological Research at the University of Texas at San Antonio.
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