Yates Mill

Yates Mill is a fully operational water-powered grist mill from the 1700s with original millstones, wooden gears, and machinery that perform traditional grain grinding. The site occupies 174 acres and includes a visitor area where the mechanical systems that once fed the local region remain in working order.

Built around 1756, this mill served as Wake County's primary grain processing center for two centuries before closing in the 1950s. It was one of about 70 mills operating in the region at its peak before industrial changes led most to disappear.

The mill demonstrates how water power was once essential to community life, with visitors witnessing the practical craft of grain grinding that fed local families for generations. The site connects people to the everyday work that sustained farming communities in the past.

The site is walkable with paved paths through the mill complex and surrounding nature preserve. Guided tours are available on select weekends and include demonstrations of how the mill operates and grinds grain by hand.

Among the roughly 70 mills that once operated in Wake County, this is the only one still grinding grain today. Its survival makes it a rare working example of 1700s water mill technology.