Coral Castle
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Coral Castle
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Coral Castle (also known as Rock Gate)
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| Location | Leisure City, Florida |
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| Coordinates | 25°30′1.227″N 80°26′41.9028″W / 25.50034083°N 80.444973000°WCoordinates: 25°30′1.227″N 80°26′41.9028″W / 25.50034083°N 80.444973000°W |
| Built | 1920 |
| NRHP Reference # | 84000840 |
| Added to NRHP | May 10, 1984 |
Coral Castle is an oolite limestone structure created by the Latvian American eccentric Edward Leedskalnin (1887–1951) located in Leisure City, Florida, in Miami-Dade County at the intersection of South Dixie Highway (U.S. 1) and SW 157th Avenue. The structure comprises numerous megalithic stones (mostly limestone formed from coral), each weighing several tons. It is currently a privately operated tourist attraction. Coral Castle is noted for legends surrounding its creation that claim it was built single-handedly by Leedskalnin using reverse magnetism or supernatural abilities to move and carve numerous stones weighing many tons.
According to the Coral Castle's own promotional material, Edward Leedskalnin was suddenly rejected by his 16-year-old fiancée Agnes Skuvst in Latvia, just one day before the wedding. Leaving for America, he came down with allegedly terminal tuberculosis, but spontaneously healed, stating that magnets had some effect on his disease.
Edward spent more than 28 years building the Coral Castle, refusing to allow anyone to view him while he worked. A few teenagers claimed to have witnessed his work, reporting that he had caused the blocks of coral to move like hydrogen balloons. The only tool that Leedskalnin spoke of using was a "perpetual motion holder".
Leedskalnin originally built a castle, which he named "Ed's Place," in Florida City, Florida, around 1923. He purchased the land from Ruben Moser whose wife assisted him when he had a very bad bout with tuberculosis. Florida City, which borders the Everglades, is the southernmost city in the United States that is not on an island. It was an extremely remote location with very little development at the time. The castle remained in Florida City until about 1936 when Leedskalnin decided to move and take the castle with him to its final location at 28655 South Dixie Highway Miami, FL 33033. The Coral Castle website states that he chose to move in order to protect his privacy when discussion about developing land in the area of the castle started. He spent three years moving the Coral Castle structures 10 miles (16 km) north from Florida City to its current location in Leisure City, Florida.
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