Lassiter Mill According to the City of Raleigh plaque at the site, one of Wake County's first mills was located on Crabtree Creek at a site known as "the Great Falls of Crabtree." The first mill was constructed before 1764, and the current foundations are remnants of a grist mill constructed by Cornelius Jesse Lassiter in 1908. The mill was destroyed by fire in 1958. Today, the Lassiter Mill site is a Raleigh city park, part of the greenway system, and is open to the public.
Flooding The creek lies within a
flood plain that is historically prone to frequent flooding throughout its length, even after moderate rainfall. Construction of lakes on the creek and its tributaries to control floods have only partially alleviated this problem because rapid development of Wake County has greatly increased storm runoff.
Crabtree Mall derives its name from the creek; when the mall was constructed, the creek was redirected into an artificial channel behind the mall. At the time of construction there were predictions that the mall would flood. In fact, the new channel of the creek at the mall has proved to be inadequate for peak flows. The highest recorded level of Crabtree Creek, measured at Glenwood Avenue near the mall, was in June 1973 shortly after the mall's completion.
Tropical Storm Alberto (2006) caused the second-highest water level on record, ; and
Hurricane Fran in September 1996 caused the third-highest water level, . All three events flooded the lower level of the mall, inundated the mall's parking lots, and obstructed traffic in the vicinity. Even moderate storms wreak minor havoc around the mall; for instance, a storm in June 2006 caused an evacuation of the mall and significant property damage. The United States Geological Survey has a monitoring station on Crabtree Creek at Highway 70 in Raleigh. The station's data provides for better modeling and flood forecasting. The
U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Services (USDA NRCS) designed dam is 1,320 feet long and 45 feet tall. The dam was repaired during the winter between January 2016 and January 2020. Lake Crabtree Dam or Crabtree W/S Structure #23 is an earth structure 1,200 feet long and 45 feet tall, designed by USDA NRCS.
Lake Crabtree County Park, Raleigh's Crabtree Boulevard and Raleigh's Crabtree Park are all either named after the creek or the adjoining lake. The Crabtree Creek Trail, a branch of the
Capital Area Greenway, follows the course of the creek from a location just west of
Crabtree Mall to the confluence with the
Neuse River at Anderson Point Park. ==Crabtree Creek Greenway==