February 26, 2003
Historic Yates Mill to be Highlighted in Pieces of the Past Spring Lecture Series Program At the Raleigh City Museum

RALEIGH, N.C. (February 26, 2003) - The Raleigh City Museum continues its Pieces of the Past Spring 2003 Lecture Series with a presentation by Rebeccah Cope, park manager for Historic Yates Mill County Park. The lecture, entitled "Milling Mania! The Story of Historic Yates Mill," will be held Saturday, March 15, 2003 at 2:00 p.m. in the museum's lower level classroom. The program is free and open to the general public.

Of the many gristmills that once served the Raleigh area, Yates Mill is the only one still standing. The water-powered gristmill was an important economic and social center for residents of Wake County from colonial times through the early 1900s. Its mill site was first surveyed in 1756 and the first mill was established before Wake County was formed in 1771. The lecture will focus on the history of Yates Millpond and its 247-year old water-powered gristmill - the last of its kind in Wake County - and will include a slide show about the mill's restoration and its milling artifacts. Participants will also learn about the development plans for Historic Yates Mill County Park and receive informational handouts on the site.

Rebeccah Cope is employed as a Park Manager for the Wake County Division of Parks, Recreation, and Open Space. Her work focuses on the development, promotion, and management of Historic Yates Mill County Park. She has been working on the mill project for almost 7 years. Rebeccah works with local and state government officials, as well as with community citizens such as those involved in the non-profit group Yates Mill Associates, to educate the public about the historic mill and to build support for the park. She is responsible for the on-site management of the park and is working with project partners to preserve Wake County's last remaining gristmill and its surrounding natural environment. Rebeccah received a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from the University of Maryland at College Park in 1992. After moving to North Carolina in 1995, she attended NC State University and received a Master of Science degree in Natural Resources Management in 1999.

The Pieces of the Past Spring 2003 Lecture Series is offered as part of the Raleigh City Museum's 10th Anniversary Celebration in 2003. The series will conclude with "Lost Raleigh: An Architectural & Cultural Odyssey" on Saturday, April 12 at 2:00 p.m. For more information on these events, please contact Ken Peters, Coordinator of Education & Outreach, at 832-3775 ext. 11.

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