Ephraim McDowell House facts for kids
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Dr. Ephraim McDowell House
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Dr. Ephraim McDowell House and Apothecary
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 Location in Kentucky
Location in the United States
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| Location | 125–127 S. 2nd St., Danville, Kentucky |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1795 |
| Architectural style | Federal style |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000355 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
| Designated NHL | January 12, 1965 |
The Dr. Ephraim McDowell House, also known as McDowell House, was the home of a very important doctor named Ephraim McDowell. This house is located in Danville, Kentucky.
It became a U.S. National Historic Landmark in 1966. This is because it was the place where Dr. McDowell performed the world's first successful ovariotomy in 1809. This amazing surgery was done without any anesthesia, which means the patient was awake.
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Who Was Dr. Ephraim McDowell?
Ephraim McDowell (born November 11, 1771 – died June 25, 1830) was a famous American doctor. He was born in Rockbridge County, Virginia. His family moved to Danville, Kentucky in 1784.
He studied medicine with Dr. Humphrey in Staunton, Virginia. Later, he traveled to Scotland to attend medical lectures at the University of Edinburgh from 1793 to 1794. He also learned from a surgeon named John Bell. In 1795, he came back to Danville, Kentucky, and started his own surgery practice.
Dr. McDowell's Community Role
Dr. McDowell was a very active person in his community. He helped start the Trinity Episcopal Church in Danville. He also helped create Centre College, a well-known school in Danville.
A Groundbreaking Surgery
On December 13, 1809, Dr. McDowell met a patient named Jane Todd Crawford. She had a large ovarian tumor. On Christmas morning of 1809, Dr. McDowell performed surgery on her in his home. He removed a tumor that weighed about 22.5 pounds (10.2 kg).
It was an incredible feat because there was no anesthesia to put her to sleep. Also, doctors didn't know about germs yet, so there was no antisepsis (germ-killing methods). Mrs. Crawford recovered well and went home 25 days later. She lived for another 32 years! This was the first successful surgery of its kind in the world.
History of the McDowell House
The Dr. Ephraim McDowell House was built in three different parts over time. The first part, a brick section, was built between 1792 and 1795. Dr. McDowell bought the house in late 1802.
He added the front part of the house, which was made of wood, in 1803–1804. In 1820, he added a small brick office next to the back porch. The house was also updated around this time.
Saving a Historic Home
After Dr. McDowell passed away in 1830, his house was sold. For a short time, a president of Centre College lived there. Over many years, the area around the house changed. The house itself became very run down and damaged.
Dr. August Schachner, a doctor from Louisville, worked hard to save the house. In 1921, he visited it and saw how bad it was. He noted that the room Dr. McDowell used as his office was being used for shoe shining. The room where he performed surgeries was used as a place to dump ashes.
The Kentucky Medical Association bought the house in 1935. They gave it to the state of Kentucky. The state then had it restored by the Works Progress Administration (WPA), a government program that created jobs during the Great Depression. The restored house was officially opened on May 20, 1939. In 1948, Kentucky gave the property back to the Kentucky Medical Association.
The Apothecary Shop
The Kentucky Pharmaceutical Society helped restore the Apothecary Shop in the late 1950s. An apothecary shop was like an old-fashioned pharmacy where medicines were prepared. They got help from the Eli Lily Foundation. The shop was furnished with items from the Pfizer Laboratories. It was officially opened and given to the Kentucky Medical Association on August 14, 1959.
