A lot has changed since the teacher called her students to a one-room schoolhouse with a bell she rang herself. Students would shuffle into the room, take their seats (youngest in front & oldest in back) and the daily lessons would commence. Each child had his or her slate for practicing arithmetic problems and, for the young ones, learning to form their letters first in print and then in cursive. Today busloads of students pull up to large buildings with multiple classrooms—some specialized like science labs and art rooms and students are using computers and tablets instead of slates.
But some things never change! Each new school year begins with an air of expectation and the hope for a positive learning experience. Now that all the local children are back in school, why not take some time and visit the replica of Clermont’s very first school at the Historic Village, 490 West Ave.—not far from the Historic Downtown Shopping District. The Village is open every Saturday & Sunday from 1:00 to 4:00 pm and admission is free (a $2.00 donation per adult is requested). After listening to the teacher in the schoolhouse, you can also visit the five other buildings in the Village and even take a peek into an outhouse replica.
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. The next meeting will be September 10. After touring the Village, please like us on Facebook.
