McDowell House Museum, Apothecary and Gardens

McDowell House Museum, Apothecary and Gardens, 125 S. 2nd St., is the restored late 18th- and early 19th-century home, shop and grounds of Dr. Ephraim McDowell, a notable pioneer surgeon. Here, in 1809, the doctor performed what is said to be the first successful abdominal surgery of its type. The house, built in three stages from the 1790s to 1820, is furnished to reflect the lifestyle and culture of early Kentuckians. An apothecary shop contains an extensive collection of apothecary ware.