Comments on: Lassiter Mill and Raleigh mill history

By: Elizabeth Hunter Amos

Elizabeth Hunter Amos — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 23:13:46 +0000

Yes, I can confirm some information on Edward’s mill from old Archives maps & books of history on Raleigh. Edward’s mill was located more or less where House creek empties into Crabtree Creek at Crabtee Mall. (Specifically the people at the Edwards Mill Grill say it was located at approximately where the McDonalds is on Blue Ridge Rd. near the intersection with Glenwood ave.) When Crabtree mall was built, Crabtree Creek was moved back a bit, closer to Kidd Brewer’s hill & further away from Glenwood Ave. It does a sort of 45 degree angle turn (at about the point of the meeting with Hourse Creek) to go out towards Glenwood & flows underneath it.

If you go look at the online NC Archives maps, look for the Fendol Bevers 1871 map, that shows the mill. It is unclear whether the mill was on the far side of Crabtree creek, out closer to the right side Glenwood, if you were heading to Durham, in otherwords across the street from the mall. There is an old stone abuttment there near a wooden walkway as you come out from under the bridge on the Leadmine side. The old Bever’s map also shows a public mill on that side (probably for the country poor farm that existed in Parrish Grove, near Brooks School). The Edwards Mill restaurant & grill has a picture of the old mill, more images may be at down at Archives.

According to Elizabeth Waugh’s book, “North Carolina’s Capital Raleigh” Edward’s mill & it’s neighbors, of Lassiter & Whitaker’s all pre-dated the founding of Raleigh and all were situated on Isaac Hunter land, about 2 miles apart. (Isaac Hunter of the famous tavern, which helped locate the capitol city within 10 miles of it, since it was a well known landmark & located on the Old Stage Rd. from Petersburg Va to Cross Creek (Fayetteville) NC.

Edward’s mill was originally constructed in 1766, Lassiter’s in 1776 and Whitaker’s in 1777. Whitaker’s was built by Isaac Hunter and for a number of years operated as a paper mill run by Elihu Sater. During the Civil War it or a mill on/under today’s Anderson Drive was converted to a Confederate gun powder mill. (The first gun powder mill – near or on House Creek, had blown up in 1862.) =See Elizabeth Reid Murray’s book, FMI. Yankee soldiers destroyed the second powder mill in 1865 (& themselves in the process.) Ms Waugh’s book says that Edward’s mill was bought around 1866 by J.Thomas Edwards and his son, Demetrious M. Edwards from the estate of Scott Tucker, who had bought it from Hines Whitaker. The title at the time was searched back a hundred years, dating the dam to 1766.

If you go to the Olivia Rainey history library there is a map of former grist mills of Wake county on the computer room wall & there is more information on them (a former program given at one time at the Joel Lane museum) & now viewable on a series of computer discs.

By: David

David — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 02:42:50 +0000

Lassiter Mill Dam Park is a fantastic spot for an afternoon outdoors. If you are looking for bathrooms and picnic tables, etc. you’ll be disappointed. There are about 10 parking spots, one picnic table, and no facilities. Nevertheless, it’s worth a visit. It has a nice sand and gravel beach, plenty of shade, and easy access for most people. There is a real nice historical marker, and the remains of both the mill and the old bridge are clearly visible. I really enjoy it for the catch-and-release fishing. I have caught Largemouth Bass, Black Crappie, several types of sunfish, Bowfin, Catfish in the 5-15 pound range (others have reported much larger ones), Shad in the spring, and one Long-nose Gar. I have also used a seine net and found several different shiners, darters and unknown species. The variety of fish is incredible, and that is what makes it so enjoyable. I think the fish congregate there because the dam blocks them from going further upstream, and the falls continuously dig large, deep pools to support them. I see lots of people there using it for photography, too. It’s really a picturesque spot, and makes a great background for portraits too. So, if you want to get a line wet, walk the dog, take some photos, or sit in the shade and enjoy a book, you owe it to yourself to check it out.

By: raleighnaturalist

raleighnaturalist — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 20:39:27 +0000

Bryan,
Thanks for your comment and what a fine controversy! I agree with you totally in some respects: the line with Johnson County is the beginning of the true coastal plain, and the approximate line for the range of water moccasins, for example (which are actually fairly rare in Wake). The Fall Line is not an arbitrary border but a haphazard, or at least irregular transition from Piedmont to Coastal Plain. Falls of the Neuse clearly marks it in northern Wake; I contend that Lassiter Mill, more correctly the rock outcrop that supports it, marks the transition on Crabtree from Piedmont creek to sluggish tributary of the Neuse. Crabtree’s water does not encounter any further dramatic rock exposures before joining the Neuse at Anderson Point. Just before reaching the Neuse, Crabtree slides over flat rock (with inches of depth) at a spot visible from the bridge over the creek on Roger’s Lane. The Neuse itself flows over a category 1 rockfall (you can paddle UP it with moderate effort) just fifty yards below Anderson Point. But those exceptions don’t keep the two waterways from being essentially coastal plain in nature by that point.
Thanks so much for reading and sharing!

By: raleighnaturalist

raleighnaturalist — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 20:18:02 +0000

Harold, I have consulted Elizabeth Reid’s Wake Co. history to no avail with John Edwards and Hardy Lassiter. Many of the area mills discussed in her book predate Raleigh itself: Yates Mill in the 1750′s and many in what was to be central Raleigh through the 1760′s. History is not my thing but I would love to know more about the history of Edwards Mill. If I find more ( or if a reader posts more) I will let you know.

By: Bryan Wiggins

Bryan Wiggins — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 19:54:46 +0000

Nice write up. I would contend, however, that the Fall Line is technically east of Lassiter Mill, where the eastern border of Wake County crosses the Neuse River.