A ten-minute hop, skip, and a jump from I-40, the Murray’s Mill Historic District, in the rolling countryside of eastern Catawba County, nestles just as it was a century ago along the banks of Balls Creek. It’s perfect for an afternoon picnic or a quick leg stretch. A placid pond slips over a mill dam, and the 28’ waterwheel of this National Register Historic Site makes its slow way ’round. Nailed to a door-frame in the general store, an old coffee can catches bottle caps, and a porch swing awaits you out front, as does a chat with a friendly guide before beginning your tour.
