Historic Yates Mill to Reopen July 15 After Storm-Related Repairs Completed

7/6/2006

Storm-related repairs are under way at Historic Yates Mill County Park, and the mill and its yard are expected to reopen to the public on the third weekend of July, at which time corn grinding will be demonstrated.

Free half-hour mill tours will be available on a first-come, first-served basis on Saturday, July 15, between the hours of 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and 1-4 p.m., and on Sunday, July 16, from 1-4 p.m. Costumed interpreters will be on hand to describe the mill’s history and operations.

Located just five miles from downtown Raleigh, at 4620 Lake Wheeler Road, Historic Yates Mill (circa 1756) has survived many significant events throughout its long history. These include several wars, bankruptcies, a possible attempted burn, economic depression, neglect and natural disasters, including hurricanes and floods.

On June 14, Tropical Depression Alberto dropped around 7 inches of rain in the Raleigh area, resulting in widespread flooding. Steep Hill Creek rose around 7 feet and, at its crest, the water almost overtopped the bridge at Lake Wheeler Road. Water in Yates Mill Pond left its banks, flowed through the yard on the north side of the historic mill building, and surrounded the mill on all sides for several hours. Water also flowed through the Log Cabin. Floodwaters caused the waterwheel to turn and some milling machinery to operate. The wheel was almost lost as its stone support pillar was nearly washed away.

Due to storm damage, the mill area had to be closed to the public, as did the creek crossing area below the milldam. These areas remain closed today. The corn-grinding demonstration and special event planned for the weekend of June 17-18 had to be canceled. This would have been only the second time that the mill was accessible to the public since the park’s grand opening event on May 20-21. More than 17,000 people have visited the park since that time, many of whom were hoping to get into the mill and to see its machinery in action.

Thanks to the efforts of the miller, William Robbins, and Brooks Burleson with Natural Stone Installation, the waterwheel’s support pillar is fully restored and the wheel can once again be operated. The mill yard is also being restored.

Flooding scoured away the banks of the creek area below the dam so severely that it is unclear how to reestablish a pedestrian crossing. Wake County is working with its partners and others to determine what can be done to reestablish the crossing. Until a viable solution can be found, this area will remain closed.

Some have said that the Yates Mill restoration project has suffered from bad luck. It is the opinion of those who work closely on the project that the mill has been blessed with a great deal of good luck, in that the mill is still here, despite many challenges – natural disasters being foremost among them. Yates Mill is the last remaining water-powered mill in Wake County, out of at least 40 mills that once existed. It has suffered through many significant events, and yet, it persists.

In the words of poet James Applewhite: “This mill founded a people by waters, where a wheel and its whirling stones marked the times’ returns.” May Yates Mill bear witness to many more years to come!

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