Submitted by Donna DiGennaro, Clermont Historic Society
Have you ever seen one of these before? This is the great-granddaddy of all the different technology that you listen to today. What you see here is a windup gramophone that was used to play records before anyone had electricity in their homes. To us, the sound is very scratchy and the words can be difficult to make out. But back in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s it was literally “music to their ears.” The records were quite thick and brittle. Some had music on only one side but, it was a wonderful invention and brought joy into many people’s lives.
If you would like to hear an actual gramophone in action, come to Clermont’s Historic Village where we actually have two of them! The one pictured above is in the Cooper Memorial Library and the other one is in the Townsend House and that is the one that several volunteers love to play for visitors. There is even an earlier portable version in the Kern House. The Village is located at 490 West Avenue on the shores of beautiful Lake Minneola and is open to the public every Saturday and Sunday from 1:00 to 4:00 PM. Admission to the Village is always free however, a donation of $5.00 per person over 12 is requested.
The Historic Village is a unique partnership between the city of Clermont and the Clermont Historical Society. The city maintains the exterior of the buildings and the grounds and the Historical Society maintains the interior of the buildings and owns the furnishings & décor. 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. Masks are available for visitors upon request.
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. At this time only board members are attending the society’s monthly meetings which are held on the second Tuesday of each month but members and guests are invited to join via Zoom. You can also 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. Stay hopeful and safe!
