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 Edward Leedskalnin
was born in Riga, Latvia on August 10th, 1887. When Ed was
26 years old, he was engaged to be married to his one true
Love, Agnes Scuffs. Agnes was ten years younger than Ed; he
affectionately referred to Agnes as his “Sweet Sixteen”.
Agnes cancelled the wedding just one day before the ceremony.
Heartbroken and deeply
saddened by this tragic loss, Ed set out on a lifelong quest
to create a monument to his lost love that has culminated
into one of the world’s most remarkable accomplishments.
Ed’s unusual creation is called the Coral Castle, (it
was originally called “Rock Gate Park”). Ed without
any outside assistance or large machinery single-handedly
built the Coral Castle. He carved and sculpted over 1,100
tons of coral rock as a testimony to his lost love, Agnes.
What makes Ed’s
work remarkable is the fact that he was just over 5 feet tall
and weighed only 100 pounds. The coral that he worked on was
sometimes 4,000 feet thick. Incredibly, he cut and moved huge
coral blocks using only hand tools. He had acquired some skills
working in lumber camps and came from a family of stone masons
in Latvia. He drew on this knowledge and strength to cut and
move these blocks.
Ed had lived in Canada,
California, and Texas. Then he developed a touch of tuberculosis
and decided to move to a better climate to help his condition.
Ed moved to Florida in 1918. Ed remained in Florida City until
about 1936. At that time, someone planned to build a subdivision
near him. Being a private person, he decided to move. He came
to Homestead and bought 10 acres of land in 1936. Ed spent
the next three years moving the Coral Castle structures 10-miles
to Homestead, Florida from Florida City.
How did Ed move all these
carvings a distance of 10 miles? Ed had the chassis of an
old Republic truck on which he laid two rails. He had a friend
with a tractor move the loaded trailer from Florida City to
Homestead. Ed lived a very simple life, he did not own a car.
Instead, Ed would ride his bicycle 3.5 miles into town for
food and supplies on a regular basis.
Many people have seen
the coral carvings being moved along the Dixie Highway, but
no one has actually ever seen Ed loading or unloading the
trailer. Ed did much of his work at night by lantern light
The Coral Castle has numerous lookouts along the Castle walls
that were designed to help protect his privacy.
The castle’s walls
and gates prove his private nature. In 1940, after the carvings
were in place, Ed finished erecting the walls. The coral Walls
approximately weigh 125 pounds per cubic foot. Each section
of wall is 8 feet tall, 4 feet wide, 3 foot thick, and weighs
more than 58 tons!
If anyone ever questioned
Ed about how he moved the blocks of coral, Ed would only reply
that he understood the laws of weight and leverage well. He
even built an AC Current generator! This all from a man with
only a fourth grade education. His incredible feats truly
need to be witnessed in person in order to be appreciated
. There is no record of anyone observing Ed carving in Florida
City or in Homestead. He has baffled engineers and scientists!
People have compared Ed’s secret method of construction
to Stonehenge and the Great Pyramids.
The only written records
Ed left to posterity are five pamphlets that he wrote. “
A Book in Every Home” which contains Ed’s thoughts
on 3 subjects. “Sweet Sixteen, Domestic, and Political
Views.” He wrote 3 pamphlets on “Magnetic Current”.
His “Mineral, Vegetable and Animal Life” contains
his beliefs on life’s cycle. These pamphlets are available
only in our gift shop.
In December 1951 Ed became
ill. He put a sign on the door of his Castle saying “Going
to the Hospital”. He took a bus to Jackson Memorial
Hospital in Miami. Three days later he died in his sleep at
the age of 64.
After his death, a nephew
living in Michigan, inherited the Castle. In 1953, shortly
before his death, the nephew sold the Castle to a family from
Illinois. During the take-over, a box of Ed’s personal
effects was found. It contained a set of instructions that
led to the discovery of 35- $100 bills, Ed’s life savings.
Ed made this money from giving tours for ten cents and twenty-five
cents. He also made money from the sale of his pamphlets and
the sale of the land where U.S. Highway 1 passes the Castle.
Edward Leedskalnin’s
life achievement, The Coral Castle, an undying testimony of
his great love for Agnes Scuffs took him from 1923-1951 to
build. The only other tribute that can compare to the Coral
Castle is the Taj Mahal. It was built for the lost love of
a king. Over twenty years and several thousand slaves built
the Taj Mahal, a monument to the King’s wife.
In Ed’s case, he
labored intensely for twenty-eight years working on this astonishing
masterpiece. A common man built the Coral Castle whereas the
Taj Mahal was built by a King. Ed was a common man who touched
the lives of all who met him in an uncommon way. This humble
yet unique man persevered in order to pay tribute to love.
His physical tribute will astonish all that visit the Coral
Castle.
Forever carved in stone,
the Coral Castle is a timeless beauty that defines Ed’s
undying Love for his “Sweet Sixteen”. Ed’s
stone tribute to Agnes Scuffs, carved by his own two hands
will forever inspire romance in all those that choose to visit
the monumental Coral Castle. |
