McDowell House in Danville, Kentucky provides historical, tourist, and genealogical information. Here on Christmas morning 1809, Dr. Ephraim McDowell performed surgery on Jane Todd Crawford for the removal of an ovarian tumor. The ovarian tumor he removed from Mrs. Crawford weighed twenty-two and one-half pounds. The surgery was performed without benefit of anesthetic or antisepsis, neither of which was known to the medical profession at the time. Mrs. Crawford's surgery was successful. She returned to her home in Green County twenty-five days after the operation and lived another thirty-two years. This was the first successful removal of an ovarian tumor in the world. Click here to learn more by visiting the History pages.

Danville is now a part of the new Lincoln Heritage Scenic Highway, a National Scenic Byway! Click here: Lincoln Heritage Scenic Highway

McDowell House has been named a National Historic Landmark. (click here)

 

Upcoming Exhibits

The McDowell House Museum will commemorate the Civil War Sesquicentennial and the War of 1812 Bicentennial with two exhibits in the gift shop.  See how members of the McDowell family helped shape the history of this country both on the home front and in the battlefield.  Opening in fall.  

Opening this December, an exhibition on the McDowell family slaves will feature a new exhibit space depicting house slaves’ quarters, as well as focusing on the history of slavery in Kentucky.  Primary sources – slave sale records, wills, and the McDowell family Bible – provide insight into what it meant to be a slave in 19th-century Kentucky.

Archaeological Dig Temporary Exhibit

The new temporary exhibit features artifacts removed from McDowell House grounds from 2005-2006. There are a variety of items including 19th century pottery shards and whole bottles from the 20th century. Admission is $3 for adults and $1.50 for children or included with the cost of a tour of the House.