by Donna Digennaro, Clermont Historic Village
“Kilroy Was Here” became a symbol of the spirit of the Americans fighting in World War II. His unique face with his long nose peeking over a wall was seen by many a serviceman and woman all over the world. But where and how did it start and was there a real Kilroy behind the design?
In 1946 The American Transit Association decided to try and find out if there was in fact a “real” Kilroy. Almost 40 men tried to claim that honor but only James Kilroy of Halifax, Massachusetts could prove that he was the real “Kilroy.” Mr. Kilroy was an inspector at a shipyard. His job was to check to make sure all the rivets were properly installed in a ship’s hull. In order to ensure that evidence of his inspection was not removed (double inspection meant double pay for the riveters!), he started marking his work with a funny character and the phrase, “Kilroy was here!” Because of the rush to get ships into the war effort, the interiors were often not painted and his markings were in view for the sailors as they performed their duties on those ships. They were the first to start copying it. Soon American soldiers started using it also and Kilroy got to travel the world. He even made it to the wall outside Osama Bin Laden’s compound in the 21stcentury!
Charles Osgood, the host of Sunday Morning on CBS for 22 years, edited a book about “Kilroy Was Here” and it is part of the collection housed in the Quonset Hut at Clermont’s Historic Village. Because of the pandemic, the book and many others are not currently on display but a great deal of other World War II memorabilia is as well as a Kilroy drawing. The Historic Village is located at 490 West Avenue in Clermont.
Right now the city is in the process of doing a major road improvement project on West Avenue so getting to the Village’s parking lot is a bit tricky. You will need to drive west on Osceola Street past Lily’s on the Lake until you come to a large “Road Closed” sign in the middle of the roar. Carefully drive around the sign and the road will bend around to West Avenue and take you directly to the entrance to the Village parking lot. Or, you can park in the city’s grass parking lot on Minneola Avenue that is located directly behind the Schoolhouse and walk up the incline into the Village.
The Village is open every Saturday and Sunday from 1:00 to 4:00 PM and admission is free. A donation of $5.00 per adult (anyone over 12) is requested. Once you are on the grounds of the Village, all visitors are asked to report directly to the pavilion to sign our guest book and for a brief explanation of the changes that have been made to our procedures. The changes are: only one group at a time will be permitted in each building. One volunteer will be stationed where (s)he can see the entrances to all the buildings to ensure this. No volunteers will go on tours with guests. There will be signs inside the buildings asking people to not touch the display items. We will wipe down knobs, railings and buttons after people leave each building. Some rooms will be roped off from the public. And, finally, all volunteers will wear masks.
If you are interested in the history of Clermont or in history in general, why don’t you consider joining the Clermont Historical Society? Membership is just $25.00 per person or $35.00 for a couple annually. In September we are planning on resuming our monthly meetings that are held on the second Monday of each month in the Train Depot at the Village. The board meeting (open to the public) is at 6:00 PM followed by a presentation at 7:00 PM. Opportunities for rentals will have to wait for phase 3 of reopening by the state. In the meantime, you can see lots of pictures and information about the Village on our Facebook page. A new website will be launching soon. For questions or further information please call 352-242-7734. We hope to see you all now that the Village is reopened.
