Southwest Raleigh in Wake County, North Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
Yates Mill
Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, September 1, 2023
1. Yates Mill Marker
National Register
of Historic Places
by the United States
Department of the Interior
c. 1756
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Colonial Era • Industry & Commerce • Notable Buildings. In addition, it is included in the National Register of Historic Places series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1756.
Location. 35° 43.096′ N, 78° 41.176′ W. Marker is near Raleigh, North Carolina, in Wake County. It is in Southwest Raleigh. Marker is on Lake Wheeler Road (State Road 1375) 0.4 miles south of Dairy Lane, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 4630 Lake Wheeler Rd, Raleigh NC 27603, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. The Governor Morehead School (approx. 3.4 miles away); Land Rooted in Agriculture (approx. 3.7 miles away); Mount Hope Cemetery (approx. 3.9 miles away); Fall of Raleigh (approx. 3.9 miles away); Spring Hill (approx. 3.9 miles away); Life on Dix Hill (approx. 4 miles away); The First People (approx. 4 miles away); Dix Hospital Cemetery (approx. 4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Raleigh.
Regarding Yates Mill. Excerpt
this page online
The mill site, on Steep Hill Creek, was originally surveyed for Samuel Pearson in October, 1756, and granted to him by the Earl of Granville in 176l. The mill itself was probably built a short time before the survey. At the time of his death in 1800, Pearson was a successful planter and had increased the mill lands to over one hundred acres. The mill was left to his son, Simon, who was forced to sell the property in a sheriff's sale to William Boylan in 1820. Boylan established Raleigh's first newspaper, the North Carolina Minerva and Raleigh Advertiser, in 1799. He was the second president of the State Bank, and while he owned the mill, served on the commission to build a new state capitol. During his ownership Boylan rebuilt the mill and modernized it.
In 1851, it was purchased by James Penny, Thomas Briggs, and John Primrose. Primrose sold his interest to James Dodd in 1859. Dodd, along with Thomas Briggs, formed Briggs and Dodd Construction Company to contract mill work in Wake County. Briggs was Raleigh's most influential post-Civil War businessman. Having wisely converted his Confederate currency into silver before the war's conclusion, he was one of the few North Carolinians with investment potential during Reconstruction.
Briggs and Dodd sold their interest to James Penny in May, 1864, and thereafterthe mill was known as Penny's Mill. According to tradition Penny killed a Mr. Franklin for nonpayment of a mill debt and, although freed by the courts, was intimidated by Union soldiers who believed Franklin to have been a northern sympathizer. On at least one occasion the soldiers attempted to burn the mill. In l869 Penny transferred the mill to his son-in-law, Phares Yates, whose family continued its operation until 1948, and from whom comes the mill's present name. A. E. Finley, head of the North Carolina Equipment Company, obtained the mill and operated it until 1953 when he was forced to close for lack of demand. The mill was last operated in 1963 for the benefit of photographers and is now owned by North Carolina State University.Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, September 1, 20232. Yates Mill MarkerMarker is visible on the ground toward the left.
Also see . . .
1. Yates Mill (PDF). National Register nomination submitted for the mill, which was listed in 1970. (Prepared by John B. Wells, III; via National Archives) (Submitted on September 29, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)
2. History of Yates Mill. The history of Yates Mill began long ago. When the first mill was built on Steep Hill Creek, George II was king, and Benjamin Franklin was flying his kite in Pennsylvania. (Yates Mill Associates) (Submitted on September 29, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)
Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, September 1, 2023
3. Yates Mill
Credits. This page was last revised on September 29, 2023. It was originally submitted on September 29, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 48 times since then and 6 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on September 29, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
