The centerpiece of the 174-acre park is Historic Yates Mill, which is the last operable water-powered gristmill in Wake County (more than 70 water mills once existed in the area). The Mill and the property surrounding it were purchased in 1963 by NC State University. The Mill was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974 and was restored to working order through a grassroots community effort by 2005. The park was developed by, and is managed through, a partnership effort among Wake County Parks, Recreation and Open Space, NC State University and the nonprofit group Yates Mill Associates (YMA). The University owns the property while Wake County operates, maintains and interprets the park, including the 20-acre Mill Pond, and YMA operates and maintains the Mill. The park opened to the public in May 2006 and hosts over 100,000 visitors per year.
Yates Mill served Wake County as a water-powered mill for more than 200 years. Of the 70 gristmills that once served Wake County, volunteers "keep the wheels turning" at Historic Yates Mill County Park! Volunteers have assisted mainly in the following areas: mill interpretation during guided tours, corn-grinding demonstrations, selling cornmeal, cooking products made with Yates Mill cornmeal, conducting historical research, making historically accurate period clothing, storytelling, helping with nature programs, maintaining and constructing trails, teaching craft-making, and participating in the Big Sweep cleanup, among other activities.
