Saturday, May 5th was a great day for visitors at Clermont’s Historic Village because they got to see Warren McFarland in action. Mr. McFarland is a very lively 95-year old who spent his working career with Seacoast Rail Road as a telegraph operator. He has dedicated his retirement to keeping knowledge of Morse Code alive and sharing information about various different codes like the Continental Code from Europe. In the picture above you can see him demonstrating how to tap out a message for one of the families who stopped in the Depot see him.
Clermont’s Historic Village is located at 490 West Ave. on the shores of beautiful Lake Minneola and is a unique partnership between the City of Clermont and the South Lake County Historical Society that is dedicated to informing visitors about life in this area from the late 1880’s until immediately after World War II in 1946. Clermont’s historic downtown shopping district is just 3 short blocks away and accessible on the new trolley.
The Village is home to six restored buildings and two reconstructions and is open to the public every Friday from 1 pm to 3 pm and every Saturday & Sunday from 1 pm to 4 pm. The Village provides ample parking and is free to all visitors. A donation of $2.00 per adult is requested.
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; by emailing her at slhistoricalsociety@gmail.com, by touring the Historic Village any Friday from 1 pm to 3 pm or any Saturday or Sunday from 1 pm to 4 pm; or by attending our membership meetings which are held on the second Monday of the month at 7 pm in the Train Depot in the Historic Village, 490 West Ave.
