Clermont was founded in 1884 and incorporated in 1916. Its landmarks include the 1956 Citrus Tower, the Historic Village and two National Register sites.

Last checked Oct. 8, 2026. Facts come from the City of Clermont’s About Clermont and Historic Downtown pages, the Clermont Historical Society, the National Park Service and the Florida Division of Historical Resources, each linked below. Historic Village: 352-242-7734.

How Clermont began

Clermont was founded in 1884 and incorporated as a city in 1916, according to the city. It was named after the French birthplace of A.F. Wrotniski, manager of the Clermont Improvement Company, and citrus was its hallmark industry into the 1960s, according to Clermont Main Street. The city’s present charter dates from 1962, the city clerk’s office says.

Early families shaped the town. Alexander and Eleonora Kern, farmers from New Jersey, built their house on Montrose Street around 1885 and pumped water by hand from Crystal Lake. James and Sallie Townsend, the first Black residents to settle in Clermont, came from Georgia in 1887, the Clermont Historical Society says. They ran a small store, founded St. Mark A.M.E. Church and started the first school for Black children in Clermont. Sallie Townsend, a midwife known as “Aunt Sallie,” is estimated to have helped deliver more than a thousand babies, and in 1941 she opened a maternity home for Black women.

The city had an Ajax chemical fire truck by 1917, and a volunteer fire department was organized in 1923, the Fire Department says.

Visit

  • Clermont Historic Village: 490 West Ave., Saturdays and Sundays 1 to 4 p.m., free; tours 352-242-7734 or 352-432-3496
  • Florida Citrus Tower: 141 N. U.S. Highway 27, 352-394-4061
  • Oak Hill Cemetery: 901 East Ave.; City Clerk, 352-241-7330

National Register of Historic Places

Two Clermont buildings are on the National Register:

Property Address Listed
Clermont Woman’s Club 655 Broome St. Jan. 7, 1993
William Alfred Suggs Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5277 855 W. DeSoto St. March 18, 2021
  • Clermont Woman’s Club: listed for its role in social history, with significant years of 1923 and 1927, according to the National Park Service’s NPGallery record.
  • Suggs VFW Post 5277: built as a one-story building in 1946 by post members, with a second story added around 1955. The post and its auxiliary were formed in 1945 by veterans returning from World War II. The Florida Division of Historical Resources calls it the oldest surviving building in Clermont custom-built for a veterans’ group that the group still uses. The listing date is from the National Park Service’s weekly list for March 19, 2021.

The Clermont Historic Village

By Waterfront Park at West Avenue and Osceola Street, the Historic Village is a partnership: the city owns and maintains the grounds and buildings, and the Clermont Historical Society owns and cares for the collections. Buildings moved or rebuilt here include:

  • Townsend House, built about 1895 and moved in 2002 from what is now State Road 50; open since 2005.
  • Kern House, built about 1885 on Montrose Street, moved in 2006, open since 2008.
  • Cooper Memorial Library, the original 1914 library building, moved to the village in 2009.
  • Train depot, built around 1925 and renovated by the city.
  • Quonset hut, now a World War II museum.
  • A re-created one-room schoolhouse, the Hooks Schoolhouse, and a replica Grace Chapel, built in 2022.

The village is open Saturdays and Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m.; admission during regular hours is free, and private and school tours can be arranged.

The Florida Citrus Tower

The Citrus Tower on U.S. 27 opened July 14, 1956, after construction began in 1955, its owners say. It stands 226 feet, about 22 stories, on one of the highest hills of Florida’s central ridge, and an elevator runs to an observation deck with views of about 35 miles. It was built with 149,000 pounds of reinforced steel and 5 million pounds of concrete. The current owner bought it in 2022 and reopened it.

Historic downtown

Downtown Clermont runs along Eighth Street and Montrose Street above Lake Minneola. The city says it has more than 1,000 free public parking spaces downtown; see its parking map (PDF).

Oak Hill Cemetery

The city-owned Oak Hill Cemetery is at 901 East Ave. The city clerk’s office manages it; appointments are 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays. Burials can be searched online.

Related: population and growth, parks and trails and things to do this month.

Frequently asked questions

When was Clermont, Florida founded?

In 1884, the city says. It was incorporated as a city in 1916, and its present charter was adopted in 1962.

How did Clermont get its name?

It was named after the French birthplace of A.F. Wrotniski, manager of the Clermont Improvement Company, according to Clermont Main Street.

How tall is the Citrus Tower in Clermont?

226 feet, about 22 stories. It opened July 14, 1956, at 141 N. U.S. Highway 27, and an elevator takes visitors to an observation deck with views of about 35 miles.

What buildings in Clermont are on the National Register of Historic Places?

Two: the Clermont Woman’s Club at 655 Broome St., listed Jan. 7, 1993, and the William Alfred Suggs Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5277 at 855 W. DeSoto St., listed March 18, 2021.

When is the Clermont Historic Village open?

Saturdays and Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m., at 490 West Ave. Admission during regular hours is free, and group tours can be arranged.