In 2016, CSX Transportation, Inc. (CSXT) began acquiring land for the construction of a new intermodal rail terminal along existing track in Battleboro, North Carolina. They chose property containing several old farmhouses and outbuildings surviving from the late nineteenth century and learned that the farm had been recommended for the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1998. Between 2016 and 2021, Commonwealth and its partners conducted cultural resources investigations for the proposed Carolina Connector Intermodal Rail Terminal (CCX) project and revealed the lifeways and practices of the farm’s residents through archival research, archaeological excavations, and architectural survey and photo-documentation. The work resulted in a 1700‑page technical report, specialized analyses including x-radiography and electrolysis, and curation of over 40,000 artifacts. Public audience summaries were prepared for project-related topics of interest for the web and as a color booklet for distribution to local libraries. The work was funded by CSXT and the North Carolina Department of Transportation and was conducted in coordination with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office. CSXT contracted Wood Environment & Infrastructure Solutions, Inc. (Wood) to manage the project and Wood, R. S. Webb & Associates, and Commonwealth Heritage Group, Inc. to provide consultation as part of compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act.
