Historic Taylor museum to expand health care for the underserved

TAYLOR, Texas (KXAN) — The reconstruction of a museum in Taylor aims to increase health care access to its underserved populations. This is just the latest project that unites the ideas of history preservation and getting health care to those that need it.

The Dickey Museum burned to the ground one year ago. The blaze destroyed the historic home of Dr. James Lee Dickey, a physician and civil rights advocate in Taylor.

Two weeks ago, the Dickey Museum and Multipurpose Center announced it received a $500,000 grant from the St. David's Foundation to rebuild the museum.

The center's president, Jennifer Harris, said the facility, to be complete next year, aimed to do more than just share the history of Dickey's life.

She said the center will offer health services in an effort to continue Dickey's legacy of providing care to the underserved.

"It'll build relationships to help address the areas of socio-economics and other obstacles to health and health care. We have to overcome those barriers," Harris said.

Clinic gives new purpose to old school, preserves Taylor's history

The Dickey Museum and Multipurpose Center project will include reconstructing the nationally-registered Dickey house. Harris said rebuilding the home is a key part of preserving the city's history.

Harris said the center's health services will be possible through partnerships it has with local health providers — one of those being Lone Star Circle of Care.

LSCC in 2021 opened a health clinic and senior center inside the former West End School in Taylor. Its classrooms transformed into exam rooms. A lunchroom now bustles with senior citizens, not students, as folks sit down to eat at the Meals on Wheels program on the ground floor of the center.

LSCC CEO John Calvin said the agency was strategic when it selected the former school for its purpose. The clinic serves any patient regardless of insurance status.

Calvin said the school had sat empty since the 1980s before its renovation. He said the agency tried to maintain things like the building's façade and some internal fixtures to preserve some of its history.

Calvin said LSCC is excited to work with the Dickey Museum and Multipurpose Center to close gaps in care for underserved residents.

"We can't do everything in-house but if we can connect our patients with resources that may be a good fit for them, we want to do that," Calvin said.