Robert Allison and the Tiny Village

Robert was a lifelong Clermont resident and the last of the Clermont Historical Society’s original honorary members. He served eight years on the town council, drove a school bus for 30 years, and ran an auto repair shop.

The village began as a hobby while Robert was recovering from a stroke. He and his wife, Barbara, spent hours at the library looking for photographs of old Clermont. When they found few, Robert turned to his own memories of the 1930s and 1940s and the recollections of neighbors.

He started with the old Clermont Hotel. Using materials as simple as ice cream sticks, foil, string, and small stones, he built his grandparents’ home, the old school, filling stations, cotton gins, and even a theater. The buildings gave Robert a way to tell the stories that went with them, right down to the nickel MoonPie he remembered buying before school.

Robert made this village for the Historical Society to share with the community. By keeping it on display, we honor the care he took to preserve Clermont’s history and give neighbors of all ages a place to share their own memories of the town.

Read a profile by The Gainesville Times too.