Florida’s Coral Castle

Formerly known as RockGatePark, CoralCastle in Homestead, Florida is one of the 20^th century’s most interesting and puzzling constructions.  It is a collection of buildings and carved monuments built by one man without any of the technological building machines that we possess today.  Though it is a marvelous place to see, it is perhaps better known for the many legends that surround its construction.

CoralCastle was created through the efforts of a Latvian immigrant by the name of Edward Leedskalnin.  He carved and erected the many stones of the castle during the period from 1920 to 1940, though continued to add to it until he died in 1951.  The story behind his project is that he was dumped by his fiancée and after wandering the U.S. and Canada for many years he decided to settle down in Florida and build himself a home.  The mystery behind the castle is how he managed to transport and raise all of the stone materials without any help or machinery.  Since there are few accounts of Leedskalnin building the place, no one may ever know his secret.

The castle grounds are surrounded by an 8-foot wall and contain towers, an obelisk, a sundial, a well, a fountain and several other structures.  One of the more memorable items is the gate, an eight-ton device that was so well-made and well-balanced that it could be opened with only a minimum of effort.  All these structures were crafted from huge limestone blocks, some of which weigh in at up to 35 tons.  In total, more than 1000 tons of stone were used in the construction, all of it put together without any sealing materials, relying on clever shaping to keep them together.  There are even furnishings throughout the site made of carved stone as well.

Tales of how Leedskalnin did it abound, most of them quite strange.  One report says that people saw the man move the stones by using his voice to levitate them through the air.  Others claim that Leedskalnin learned some unknown tricks of gravity and that the location of the castle had something to do with how he managed to move the stones.  Leedskalnin himself said little on the subject when asked, stating only that he had discovered how to use weight and leverage.  There are also accounts that he claimed to be able to see the energy of magnetism.

Whatever the secret technique Leedskalnin used, the resulting CoralCastle is a modern wonder.  Whether people will eventually figure out the tricks of his trade remains to be seen, but until then the site is open to tours and plenty of speculation.  Check out the home page here for more information.

CoralCastle photos courtesy of Ebyabe