Clermont Woman's Club

The City of Clermont, Florida was incorporated in 1891. By that time there were two churches, a schoolhouse, lumber mill, hotel, and several stores. The community thrived and was known as the tomato capital of the state until the Big Freeze hit during the winter of 1894-95. Following the freeze, the town charter was abolished, and many settlers returned to their former homes or moved further south. For the next twenty years the town was run by a Board of Trade. There were no town taxes – everyone contributed with either private donations or man hours.  

During this period the Ladies Advancement Club was organized. The Club promoted such things as exhibits at the County Fair, placement of trash baskets in the downtown area, fund raisers for the Library Club, and other desirable public improvements, such as construction of a civic center. In 1913, the first bank in Clermont was opened, and the first newspaper, the Clermont Clarion, later known as the South Lake Press, began publishing a weekly edition. 

When the Clermont Civic Club was organized in 1921, the Ladies Advancement Club was dissolved and turned over its funds to the Civic Club. The Clermont Civic Club joined the Lake County Federation of Women’s Clubs which was composed of groups of women in the county such as the Women’s Clubs, the Parent-Teachers Associations, the Business and Professional Clubs, and Home Demonstration Clubs which had organized in 1920 for the civic improvement of their towns. 

In 1927, the Clermont Civic Club changed its name to the Clermont Woman’s Club and doubled the size of the building by adding the dining alcove, restroom, and kitchen. A member of the club directed the work, following the style of the original building. In October the City leased Lots 9 and 10 on Block 73 to the Clermont Woman’s Club for twenty-five years. The Club affiliated with the Florida Federation of Women’s Clubs in 1932.  

The clubhouse served the community as a meeting place for most civic and cultural events until 1940, as it was the only building in town which could accommodate large events until the Methodist church built the Hancock Building for youth activities in 1939-40. During the Depression, the Club sponsored the first Clermont Flower Show and organized the Garden Club. Among the many groups who used the building was the Townsend Club. Dr. Francis Townsend of Long Beach, California, proposed to abolish poverty by paying $200 a month to everyone over sixty years of age, provided they spent it all each month. In 1936-38, the Woman’s Club took over the operation of the local library and continued to operate it until 1952 when a corporation was formed to operate it. 

The Woman’s Club also contributed to the war effort during World War II. In 1941, the clubhouse kitchen was remodeled for cooking classes in connection with the Defense Program, and the following year, the Service Men stationed in the Clermont area could use the building. The Red Cross also held a Staff Assistance course in the building in 1943. 

Clermont Woman's Club, National Register of Historic Places. Accessed December 22nd 2020. https://catalog.archives.gov/id/77842833.

HISTORY, Clermont Woman's Club, Inc.. Accessed January 22nd 2021. https://www.clermontwomansclub.org/p/history.html.