Mill Stones from Old Metters Mill

Mill Stones from Old Metters Mill. . , The old Metters water-grist mill was erected and operated by John Hall in the mid 1800’s. It was located on Flat Swamp Creek, near what is now known as Highway 47, approximately five miles west of Denton. A Davidson County deed dated September 3, 1875 reveals that the mill along with 13 ¼ acres was purchased by James Metters and Noah Skeen. Later, James Metters purchased Noah Skeen’s portion of the mill and land on September 30, 1887. , The mill’s equipment was powered by an overshot master water wheel which stood some sixteen feet high. The mill required a great draught of water in propelling power from a race specially constructed for this purpose. To supply the water, a dam was constructed about three fourth of a mile upstream. Water was released from the dam into a race, and flowed through the race into the waiting receptacles built into this great water wheel. The power generated from this water turned the crude machinery which ground the wheat and corn on the buhr-stones on display here. The big wheel has long ago crumbled and washed away, but these two mill stones remained. This bronze plaque is mounted on a stone that was retrieved from the upstream Dam. (Above information researched by Frances Tysinger Robinson, a Metters family descendant) , The two mills stones were recovered from the creek bed in 1941 by members of the Hosea Skeen family. They were placed in the yards of Gladys Skeen Marshall and Myrtle Skeen Beck; they were daughters of Hosea Skeen and his wife Elizabeth Metters Skeen. The stones were used as landscape centers in their yards. Upon their deaths, the stones were moved to the home of each family’s son, John T. Marshall and John K. Beck. Both stones eventually became the possession of John Beck in Raleigh. He arranged to have the stones moved to Harrison Park to establish a memorial for the Skeen and Metters families. , Hosea Skeen was the son of Noah Skeen and was married to Elizabeth Metters, the daughter of James Metters, therefore, both families were related by marriage and are recognized by this memorial. , Established Year 2004