Now that it looks like we might be returning to nice temperatures, why not take advantage of a lovely afternoon and come to Clermont’s Historic Village? Conveniently located at 490 West Ave., not far from Clermont’s historic downtown shopping district, the Village is the result of a unique partnership between the city of Clermont and the South Lake County Historical Society. The Village consists of five (5) historic structures and two (2) replicas and is dedicated to giving people the opportunity to see what life was like in Lake County from over 100 years ago up to the end of World War II.
One of the most popular structures at the Village is a WWII Quonset Hut that has been converted into a Museum dedicated to that war. Pictured above are some of the authentic items from the war, such as a pith helmet and German barbed wire that are on display there. The Quonset Hut is also home to many uniforms, battalion insignia, ration stamps, photographs and much, much more. If you are lucky, you may come on one of the afternoons when Charlie Konsler, a World War II fighter piolet, is there to talk about his experiences during the war.
The Village is open every Friday from 1 pm to 3 pm and every Saturday & Sunday from 1 pm to 4 pm. Admission to the Village is free; however, a donation of $2.00 per adult is requested. If you would like to tour the Village with a group at a time when the Village is not regularly scheduled to be open, call and leave a message for the Village Manager, Roxanne Brown, at 352-593-8496 and she will get with you to make arrangements.
If you are interested in history in general or the history of Lake County in particular, contact the South Lake County Historical Society by going to our website, ClermontVillage.org; by calling Roxanne Brown, Village Manager, at 352-593-8496; or by attending our membership meetings which are held on the second Monday of the month at 7:00 pm in the Train Depot in the Historic Village. Our next meeting is on March 12,
