Disclaimer: This story was written for informational purposes only.
The mystery surrounding The Coral Castle in South Florida isn't why it came to be but how. The backstory of the lone man who created the astonishing masterpiece is filled with heartbreak and inspiration.
Edward Leedskalnin was born on August 10, 1887, in Latvia. He became engaged at 26 to the love of his life, Agnes Scuffs, 10 years his junior.
The day before the wedding ceremony, Agnes abruptly called it off.
Devastated, Ed relocated several times until he contracted tuberculosis and decided Florida offered a healthier climate for him. He lived in Florida City from 1918 to 1936 and it was there that he originally began crafting his coral rock sculptures.
Driven by what can only be described as loyalty and heartbreak, Ed had a lifelong quest to create a monument to his lost love, Agnes. He painstakingly and single-handedly built his castle through carving and sculpting over 1,100 tons of coral rock.
When population growth in the area threatened his privacy, he purchased 10 acres in Homestead, roughly ten miles away. He moved, piece by massive piece, the Coral Castle structures he designed to perfection.
Relocating what he had started of his majestic castle took three years.
Constructing the beauty took from 1923 until its completion in 1951. The Coral Castle has been likened to Stonehenge and the Taj Mahal. Though the Taj Mahal was also built as an undying testimony to love, Ed did not have several thousand hands helping him.
Since it is documented that no one ever witnessed Ed’s labor in building his beloved Coral Castle, some have said he had supernatural powers.
Ed did acquire skills early on in life by working in lumber camps. He also came from a family of stonemasons. That knowledge was well used but there was one factor people could not understand.
The man was slightly over 5 feet tall and weighed a mere 100 pounds. And yet, he cut and moved huge coral rocks - alone. All of his work was done using hand tools.
Witnesses attested to seeing a borrowed tractor (Ed only used a bicycle) transport a loaded trailer from Florida City to his new Homestead land, yet no one ever saw Ed load or unload the trailer.
Ed coveted his privacy. He did most of his work in the dark of night by lantern. He also constructed lookouts along the castle walls to ensure his privacy wasn't compromised.
When questioned about how he built his castle with no large machinery, Ed offered that he knew the secrets used to build the ancient pyramids that anyone could learn.
In November of 1951, Ed fell sick. He posted a sign at his front gate that read, "Going to the Hospital." He went to Jackson Memorial in Miami by bus and suffered a stroke.
Just 28 days later, Edward Leedskalnin passed away at 64 years old. His death certificate noted his cause of death as kidney failure.
Today, Coral Castle is considered one of the world's most incredible accomplishments.
Coral Castle
Not technically coral at all, the castle was built with oolite or oolite limestone. It took 1,100 tons to form the walls, castle tower, furniture, and carvings. It can often be found beneath a few inches of topsoil.
The precision used in cutting, in addition to the weight of the stone placement, allowed for fastening them together without mortar. The connections are tight and no light passes through the joints.
A two-story castle tower served as Ed's living quarters. Included on site are an accurate sundial, an obelisk, a water well, a barbeque, and a polar telescope.
Ed's artistic nature is evident in all of his carvings from a heart-shaped table to twenty-five rocking chairs, bathtubs, beds, a throne, and a table in the shape of Florida. Most of his objects are single pieces of stone that weigh literal tons.
Documents indicate that Julius Levin, a retired jeweler from Illinois purchased the land from the state of Florida in 1952.
In January 1981, Levin sold the castle to Coral Castle, Inc. which still retains ownership today. Coral Castle was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.
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