Article and Photos by Carl Gordon
Hit triple 7’s in Vegas and you go home with a jackpot … go to 777 Montrose Street in downtown Clermont and owner Barb Rajcula of The Broom Tree will make you feel like a winner every time.
Located in the historic downtown section of Clermont, it is one of the most interesting destinations for antique and collectible hunters in the area.
You will immediately notice when you walk in the door, that the building is as much an antique as the goodies within; featuring beautiful wood floors, brick inside walls, and a high ceiling. The building was built in 1921 and comes complete with an upstairs apartment…all owned by Barb and her husband Mike.
“Renew-Restore-Refresh” are the watchwords that are put into practice and you will be treated to vintage collectibles, jewelry, clocks, furniture plus much more as the 1000 plus square feet are packed … and Barb will treat you like family and sit and spend time with you chatting about her treasures.
She’s been part of the downtown scene for almost 20 years … starting with a small booth at an antique mall and building her business to her present location which she opened in 2016.
The Broom Tree is a destination shop on Montrose as she offers specialty soaps and is a distributor of Dixie Bell Chalk Paints for the Orlando area.
Barb’s inventory is ever-changing but her personality remains the same…she makes you want to return often.
She explained how The Broom Tree received its’ name … “the symbolism of the broom tree is renewal. With renewal comes a restoration of vigor and a new freshness; what is faded or disintegrated is made whole” Barb quoted from the Bible.
This is how she lives every day and how she has built her business.
You can visit The Broom Tree Tuesday through Saturday, 10 am -5 pm and Sunday 9 am -2 pm as she opens during the farmer’s market. She opens late for special occasions such as First Friday as well as downtown events.
You can find The Broom Tree of facebook at https://www.facebook.com/the broomtree/ and the store can be reached at 352-536-1880.
