Florida Coral Castle And Its Enchanting History

Florida Coral Castle is an enigmatic architectural structure designed and built by Edward Leedskalnin, an American immigrant from Latvia. At first, this building was baptized by Leedskalnin as Rock gate or ‘ Rock gate ‘.

However, it was later renamed Coral Castle or ‘ Coral Castle ‘ when it became a museum. The name change was due to the presence of a battlement similar to a tower accompanied by a series of walls, which made the construction somewhat similar to a castle.

The Florida Coral Castle, located in the United States, holds a lot of mysteries. Inside it houses a series of objects that give the feeling of having entered a fantasy space, where each corner tells a story.

Background

Edward Leedskalnin was an immigrant who came to the United States from Latvia at the age of 26. He did so after his fiancee, Agnes Skuvst, 10 years his junior, left him the day before their wedding.

Thus, Leedskalnin arrived in North America with a broken heart in 1912. From that moment on, he dedicated himself to working in different sawmills in Texas, California and Canada. In 1918, he became infected with tuberculosis and had to move to a warmer place on medical advice; he hoped to recover.

By 1923, Leedskalnin had acquired a piece of land in South Florida. It bordered on the wetlands known as the Everglades . Everything seems to indicate that their choice was motivated by the abundance of stone that was on that site.

The beginnings of the Florida Coral Castle

Upon taking possession of the acquired land, the first thing Leedskalnin did was to set up a quarry. From there he extracted the material to build his house and a workshop; he also designed and built a multitude of unusual and interesting objects. In the future, it would all be part of the Florida Coral Castle.

Leedskalnin attached great importance to being independent and autonomous, which is why he always worked alone. He was also a night owl, so he had a habit of working at night and away from the gaze of others.

In fact, he built a wall that prevented those who were outside from observing the interior of his fortress. There he also dedicated himself to writing books and manuals with various techniques and construction secrets, among other aspects.

However, his resources were decimated and he had the need to open the doors to the general public. Too many people were curious about the place, so Leedskalnin decided to charge 10 cents to know its interior and thus have the resources to continue its work.

The great architectural work

Edward Leedskalnin’s great architectural work encompassed all kinds of structures made from huge blocks of oolithic limestone. These weighed several tons and, to join them, he used cement as mortar. He made joints so perfect that not even a sheet of paper could fit between the joints.

Everything he managed to build has a total weight of close to 1,100 tons. The interior monoliths alone weigh between 14 and 27 tons; the vast majority were created from a single block of rock.

Similarly, the heights of objects vary from just a few centimeters to 7 meters 60 centimeters. All this configures a  unique modern megalithic work in the world. Without a doubt, the Florida Coral Castle is a legacy of ingenuity and creativity.

Riddles

Leedskalnin was small in stature and weighed only 45 kilograms. For this reason, no one can explain how he was able to move rocks weighing several tons on his own. What is known is that he used huge pine logs, as a tripod, joined at the upper end. From there a black metal box was lowered, whose function in the apparatus is still unknown today.

When questioned about the technique used to lift such heavy rocks, Leedskalnin responded, perhaps jokingly, saying that he used the same technique applied to the Egyptian pyramids. This left his interlocutors speechless.

It was probably these kinds of responses that led some to think that Leedskalnin used the occult and the paranormal to perform these kinds of tasks. Some even claimed that they had seen him carry multi-ton rocks as if they were air-filled objects.

Something that reinforced this idea was that Leedskalnin was an astronomer and that he worked nights. However, those who had the opportunity to interact with him described him as an educated, respectful and caring person.

The Treasures of Florida Coral Castle

Part of the interior décor of the Florida Coral Castle includes pentagram designs as well as a 6-pointed star, sparking the imagination of the paranoid. There is also a telescope that points to the pole star and a stone throne.

Likewise, there is a tower, monuments, furniture, an exact sundial, a table in the shape of the state of Florida and revolving doors, among others. Absolutely everything is made of stone.

One object that aroused admiration and curiosity was the revolving door: although it weighed several tons, it could be moved with just one finger. One day it got stuck and it took a crew of men and a crane weighing more than 30 tons to repair it.

During this task, it was discovered that it worked from an iron center shaft and a heavy vehicle bearing. Even so, the idea persists today that there is something supernatural about Coral Castle in Florida.

The motivation for so much work

On several occasions Leedskalnin was asked why he had carried out this mega-project that had involved so much effort and consumed much of his life. He simply replied that he was dedicated to the loss of the love of his life.

By 1936, the growth of the city was knocking on the doors of Florida’s Coral Castle, so Leedskalnin decided to move to another sector taking his castle with him. He only required a heavy vehicle to transport his work little by little to the place it occupies today.

There, Leedskalnin continued to work tirelessly until he was hospitalized in November 1951. Just 4 weeks later, he passed away at the age of 64. However, the legacy of his castle remained forever.