We happened upon this old grist mill purely at random and stopped to have a look see and learn how it worked. The structure has a storied past exemplified by this snippet: “…in the midst of the Civil War, the mill was sold to Phares and Roxanna Yates, James Penny’s son-in-law and daughter. Penny’s involvement in the murder of a Mr. Franklin may have brought on the sale. According to legend, Franklin was a Northern sympathizer who Penny killed for not paying a $700 mill debt. In 1865, Franklin’s widow supposedly told Federal troops occupying Raleigh that her husband’s death was due to his support for the Union. The soldiers tried to burn the mill by setting fire to the entrance. Charred wooden beams today attest to the unsuccessful attempt.” An historic building, this mill now enjoys a park setting with daily tours available. Knowing that the offered 1 hour talking tour could be condensed into a 3 minute read on Wikipedia mobile we were happy to wander free about — discovering a nature loop trail around the conservation pond and watershed in the process.