Historic Yates Mill Park Construction Resumes

3/3/2005

After an unexpected delay in park development, construction has resumed on the A.E. Finley Center for Education and Research at Historic Yates Mill County Park, a 574-acre park located five miles south of downtown Raleigh that was planned to open this spring.

Construction of the park center halted in August 2004 when the general contractor declared bankruptcy and defaulted on its building contract with Wake County. The County worked with the company’s surety to secure the services of a new contractor, and construction resumed in early February 2005. The building is expected to be complete by the spring of 2006.

Wake County and its partners – North Carolina State University, the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, and the nonprofit Yates Mill Associates – are now planning toward a park grand opening date of May 2006.

The centerpiece of the park is historic Yates Mill, a water-powered mill that operated for more than 200 years, providing cornmeal and wheat flour, sawn lumber and carded wool to the local community. Yates Mill is the only remaining gristmill in Wake County out of perhaps 40 such mills that once existed.

Restoration of the mill has continued throughout the construction delay. Both the wheat- and corn-grinding operations will be fully restored by the projected May 2006 grand opening. The opening will be in conjunction with the 250th anniversary of the land grant for the mill.

Park staff is developing displays and exhibits that tell the story of historic Yates Mill and describe the special nature of the park site, and Wake County is asking the public for help in telling this story. Curators need old photographs, historic documents, personal stories and any item that will assist staff. These items, however insignificant they may seem, can and will be of great importance in this effort and may be donated or loaned to the park. Any citizen wishing to assist Historic Yates Mill County Park in this endeavor, please contact Park Manager Rebeccah Cope at (919) 856-6675.

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