Nestled in Nash County, the Country Doctor Museum stands as a testament to the legacy of rural health care. Established in 1967 by local physicians Gloria Flippin Graham and Josephine Newell, the museum showcases over 5,000 artifacts, including bloodsucking leeches and a mechanical “lung.” These quirky items, displayed in renovated 19th-century doctors’ offices, highlight the evolution of medical practices.

Donated to East Carolina University in 2003, the museum remains in its original location in Bailey, NC. It continues to educate visitors on the history of rural medicine, preserving the era when doctors made house calls, a practice now largely extinct. The museum proudly claims the title of the oldest museum in the U.S. dedicated to the history of America’s rural health care.