Pest House Medical Museum
About the Business
The Pest House Medical Museum in Lynchburg, Virginia, offers a fascinating glimpse into the city's early medical history. Located at 401 Taylor Street, this museum was originally Lynchburg's first hospital, where those infected with contagious diseases were quarantined in the 1840s and 1850s. The small, white-frame building was moved to the Old City Cemetery in 1987 and now serves as a museum dedicated to nineteenth-century medicine.
Visitors can explore exhibits on the medical science of the era, including displays on smallpox, cholera, and scarlet fever. The museum also tells the story of Dr. John J. Terrell, who managed the Pest House during the Civil War and made significant reforms that reduced the mortality rate from 50 percent to five percent. Dr. Terrell's medical office, complete with his operating table and instruments, offers a glimpse into the medical practices of the time.
The museum is a must-visit for history buffs and those interested in the evolution of medicine. With a unique setting in the Old City Cemetery, the Pest House Medical Museum offers a poignant reminder of the challenges faced by patients and medical professionals in the nineteenth century.
Photos
Location & Phone number
401 Taylor St, Lynchburg, VA 24501, United States
Reviews
"Charming classic cemetery with some amazing relics and self-guided audio tour."
"This museum and cemetery was breathtaking. I went in the fall, so the leaves on the ground just add to the scenery. The workers in the gift shop are very knowledgeable and friendly, and the prerecorded audio for the pest house is very interesting. I definitely recommend this if you're a history lover!"
"The old city Cemetery is a walk through history. There are several small museums with outdoor speakers that tell the stories of the artifacts within. The pest house reminds us that we have often quarantined in the past, for this instance, the pestilence was small pox. Beautiful walk with stately trees."
"Thank you ! Feeling much better now! Seriously, the Pest House Museum is very interesting, and the cemetery's museum and restored railroad station are also worth a stop. Very nice."
"An interesting look into the medical history of the civil war era. Suffers from a similar problem as the hearse house in that you can typically only view from the outside, the windows have been doubled up which makes the reflections from the outside really bad. Makes it tough to see inside. The audio guide built in to the building is great, readings direct from the doctor's notes done by some good choice actors."
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