Holly Springs in Wake County, North Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)

Bass Lake

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, September 2, 2023

1. Bass Lake Marker

Inscription. Fed by three creeks, this lake once powered a grist mill, and it has been a favorite spot for fishing, family picnics and baptisms for 150 years. In the late 1800s, Needham Norris had a grist mill here. In 1892, John Mills bought the property and named the lake Mills Pond. The old grist mill collapsed during a May 1949 storm. Harry Cornell purchased the lake in the early 1950s and renamed it Bass Lake, reflecting his love of nature and wildlife. The dam burst in 1996 during Hurricane Fran, and the lake drained dry. In 1999 the Town of Holly Springs acquired the property and began an ambitious lake restoration project. Of the original lake, there are those who recall an old country store on its banks in the early 1900s when folks would relax on the porch with cold soft drinks from a cooler or pay 50 cents to fish. Bass Lake Park was completed and opened to the public in 2004, and people once again can relax on the porch with cold soft drinks from a concession stand or they can fish for free.

Erected by Town of Holly Springs.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce •

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Parks & Recreational Areas • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical month for this entry is May 1949.

Location. 35° 38.583′ N, 78° 48.238′ W. Marker is in Holly Springs, North Carolina, in Wake County. It can be reached from Bass Lake Road (State Road 1393) 0.1 miles south of Salem Ridge Road, on the right when traveling south. Marker is in the parking lot. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 900 Bass Lake Rd, Holly Springs NC 27540, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in North Carolina’s Piedmont

and in the Research Triangle.

It is also in the American South

and specifically in the Upper South.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Holly Springs Elementary School (approx. 1.4 miles away); Masonic

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, September 2, 2023

2. Bass Lake Marker

Lodge #115 (approx. 1.7 miles away); Leslie-Alford-Mims House (approx. 1.8 miles away); Holly Springs War Memorial (approx. 1.8 miles away); Holly Springs School (approx. 1.8 miles away); Varina Commercial Historic District (approx. 3½ miles away); Dry Goods Store (approx. 3½ miles away); Varina Supply Company (approx. 3½ miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Holly Springs.

Bass Lake Park image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, September 2, 2023

3. Bass Lake Park

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, September 2, 2023

4. Bass Lake Park

The park includes a popular dock, where people can launch rented canoes, jonboats and Gheenoe boats.

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, September 2, 2023

5. Bass Lake Park

Another popular spot is the concession building's open-air lakefront porch, complete with rocking chairs.

Credits. This page was last revised on October 1, 2023. It was originally submitted on October 1, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 456 times since then and 84 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on October 1, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.