Yates Mill
Why it's listed
Yates Mill is a gristmill on Lake Wheeler Road in Raleigh, Wake County. The main block is a two-story weatherboard building with a finished attic, measuring about 34 by 27 feet, with a shed addition on the east side and a loading porch. It rests on rubble piers, and a wooden millrace, an overshot waterwheel and a rubble dam holding back the millpond remain. The site was surveyed for Samuel Pearson in 1756 and granted to him in 1761, and the mill was probably built shortly before. William Boylan, a Raleigh newspaper founder, rebuilt and modernized it after 1820. It was later known as Penny's Mill, then took its name from Phares Yates, whose family ran it until 1948. It closed in 1953 and last operated in 1963. The mill is regarded as one of the few early milling examples left in eastern North Carolina, and the only surviving mill site among four known in 18th-century Wake County. It was used for lumber, grain milling and wool carding.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it one of the few surviving examples of the early American milling industry in eastern North Carolina. It is the only site of the four mills known to have served 18th-century Wake County where an actual mill still stands. It was also used for lumber manufacturing, corn and wheat milling, and wool carding.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 70000479, listed February 26, 1970. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Lake Wheeler Rd., Raleigh |
|---|---|
| County | Wake County |
| Listed | February 26, 1970 |
| Reference number | 70000479 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 18th and 19th centuries (boxes checked; no specific dates given) |
| Areas of significance | Industry, Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as fair condition, altered, unoccupied, with preservation work in progress. The mill last operated in 1963 and is owned by North Carolina State University. The wooden millrace and waterwheel are badly deteriorated, while the dam is well preserved. |
| Acreage | 9 |
| Coordinates | 35.71876, -78.68807 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 70000479.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q8050212
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.