Clermont Historic Village

Clermont Historic Village located on 480 West Avenue in Clermont. The village comprised of The Railroad Depot, The Townsend House, The Kern House, The World War II Museum, The Cooper Memorial Library and The Herring Hooks Schoolhouse.

The Railroad Depot

In the mid-1880s, the railroad lines went from Lake Monroe to Oakland. Two years later the railroad added service to Minneola, Clermont, Groveland and eventually to St. Petersburg. The Railroad Depot built in 1925 replaced many of the original buildings.

The Townsend House

The Townsend House built in 1895 home to Sally and James Townsend the first African American family in Clermont. They founded The AME Church still in existence today. Sally Townsend a midwife delivered over 1,000 babies both black and white.

The Kern House

The Kerns from New Jersey moved to Clermont and built their home in 1885. Mr. Kern one of the original signers of the Clermont charter. He owned and operated a General Store. Their son was the first mayor of Clermont.

The World War II Museum

Photos on the wall of aviators and posters illustrating recruiting stations. Different badges of the different corps and divisions represented and newspaper articles of different battles shown. Small handbooks of French, Russian and the Soldiers Basic Combat Training Handbook exhibited on the shelves as well as replicas of tanks. Personal memorabilia of a soldier who fought in World War II now a guide in the museum; he has lived in Clermont since 1945.

The Cooper Memorial Library

The construction of the library started in 1914, cost $600.00, and named after Mr. and Mrs. Montgomery Cooper. Before the library was constructed, people would go to private homes and checkout books. The docent told us that the wood floor is original and termites could not destroy the floor.

The Herring Hooks Schoolhouse

The Herring Hooks Schoolhouse a replica of the original log schoolhouse built in 1881. Pictures of graduating students in Clermont-Minneola High School class of 1921, 1940 through 1945. Rules for teachers in 1872 and 1915 on the wall.

Bulow Plantation Ruins Historic State Park

Bulow Plantation Ruins Historic State Park at 3501 Old Kings Road in Flagler Beach. Charles Wilhelm Bulow ran Bulow Plantation and Sugar Mill with his son John Joachim Bulow from 1820 until 1836 until the Seminole Indians burned down the plantation. The sugar mill was left in ruins. Made of coquina, it didn’t burn to the ground. You can walk to the ruins that is 1/4 mile, or you can drive. Most of the people at the park walked to the site.

Bulow Plantation was the largest sugar plantation of the twelve plantations on the east coast of Florida from St. Augustine to Cape Canaveral. The Plantation consisted of 6,675 acres; one thousand acres was used to plant sugar cane. Two nature trails are in the park. One trail leads to the slave quarters, sugar mill ruins and picnic area; the other trail leads to the Springhouse where food was stored. On the site of the ruins, there are plaques that give a detailed history of sugar cane production.

An interpretive center has plaques showing crop production on an East Florida Plantation. Bulow household articles, artifacts and miscellaneous artifacts are displayed.

After visiting the Plantation Ruins, you can rent a canoe for $10.00 an hour or $40.00 a day. Bulow Creek has a canoe trail that is thirteen miles long. I walked on the pier and took photographs of the creek. In the winter months, you can stand on the pier and bird watch. There are Snowy Egrets, and the Great Blue Heron is the largest wading bird.

 

 

 

Mead Botanical Garden

Mead Botanical Garden located at 1300 Denning Drive in Winter Park. Theodore L. Mead was a horticulturist.  After his death, his friends donated forty-eight acres to Winter Park in his honor. The Grove, which is an open-air pavilion hosts concerts, plays and film festivals. It also has an amphitheater that people can rent space for weddings. You can have a picnic at one of the picnic tables in the garden.

They also have two butterfly gardens. Jog, walk or ride a bicycle on the many paths and trails. You can organize a hike with one of the park naturalists. A volunteer at the garden spotted four otters in the pond; otters don’t usually come out in the daytime.