By Donna Digennaro, Clermont Historic Society
John Zeifel, the founder and driving spirit behind the Presidents’ Hall of Fame, was the featured speaker at the December meeting of the Clermont Historical Society. Mr. Zeifel has been working on his unique attraction since 1960 and has enjoyed sharing his love of the “most famous house in the world” with people from all over the world some of whom were quite famous. Walt Disney actually toured the Presidents’ Hall of Fame right after he went up the Citrus Tower to look for property in Central Florida! One thing Mr. Zeifel emphasized was his belief that the White House “…is above politics. It is the people’s home.”
In addition to an exact model of the White House that is so precise, it has been used in films in place of actual footage, every president and most first ladies are represented in life-sized wax figures at the Hall of Fame. In the past, Mr. Zeifel was given extensive access to the White House which enabled him to show the evolution of its interior over the years. This access has brought with it the opportunity to work with 14 presidents and even develop close relationships with some of them. Ronald Reagan once described the Presidents’ Hall of Fame as a “true national treasure.” Perhaps that is why his picture is painted on the exterior wall of the building!
Now that he no longer has the access to the interior of the White House that he once had, Mr. Zeifel is working on models of Independence Hall and rooms in Congress. It is his goal to take these along with his model of the White House and displays of Americana all over the country and the world. He hopes to inspire the people he encounters to become “Ambassadors of Patriotism.”
The Clermont Historical Society takes great pride in being able to share messages like those of Mr. Zeifel with its members and with the citizens of South Lake County. Every effort is made to have a speaker with an interesting story to share as a part of the Society’s monthly meeting which is held on the second Monday of the month starting at 6:00 pm in the Train Depot of the Historic Village. The meetings are open to the public and offer the opportunity to learn more about the Historic Village and the goals of the Clermont Historical Society. The next meeting of the Clermont Historical Society will be held on January 13th.
