Mission & Board
Mission Statement
Our mission is to promote the importance of the historic surgery performed by Dr. Ephraim McDowell and the bravery of his patient, Mrs. Jane Todd Crawford.
We aim to:
- Preserve and maintain historic McDowell House, the attached apothecary shop, and the surrounding grounds
- Seek, collect, conserve, and exhibit that material culture which belongs to the Ephraim McDowell family and that which is appropriate to the house while the McDowells lived there from 1802-1830 and the Apothecary Shop where Dr. McDowell practiced medicine
- Study and interpret the lives of Ephraim and Sarah McDowell, their children, and their slaves while they occupied the house
- Communicate and celebrate McDowell’s work and his contributions to modern medicine
- Identify the museum’s target audience and develop continually evolving strategies of connecting with them
Board of Managers
- Mrs. Janet Hamner, Chairperson
- Dr. John W. Collins, Vice-Chair
- Mr. Paul D. Bodner
- Dr. Meredith Clouse
- Mrs. Sharon Clouse
- Dr. Thomas A. Courtenay
- Mr. James Critchfield
- Mr. Jason P. Dean
- Dr. Philip N. Eskew, Jr. (Board Member Emeritus)
- Dr. Mark Evers
- Mr. David Hall
- Dr. Charles E. Martin
- Ms. Sue Pease
- Mrs. Linda Porter
- Ms. Mary Quinn Ramer (Board Member Emeritus)
- Dr. Michael D. Rankin
- Mrs. Georgia Hart Rodes (Board Member Emeritus)
- Mrs. Bunny Scutchfield
- Dr. Barry A. Spoonamore
- Mrs. Sherrill Thomas (Board Member Emeritus)
- Dr. Emery Wilson (Board Member Emeritus)
Museum Staff
The McDowell House Museum relies on a hard-working team of staff, student workers, board members, and volunteers for day-to-day operations, giving tours, fundraisers, events, and more.
Our Current Staff:
- Carol Senn, Director
- Alice Reardon, Administrative Assistant
- Lauren Clontz, Assistant Director
