The Story Teller

This is the Coral Castle in Florida, USA, said to be single-handedly created by the Latvian-American immigrant Edward Leedskalnin.

Originally named Rock Gate Park, this stone structure is a collection of several gigantic stones, formed from coral, weighing by the tons.

Just like King Nebuchadnezzar and the Hanging Gardens of Babylon and Prince Khurram and the Taj Mahal, the Coral Castle was built by Leedskalnin in memory of his “Sweet Sixteen,” by that he was believed to be referring to his 16-year old fiancee Agnes Scuffs who broke up with him the day before their supposed wedding. After several years, Leedskalnin moved to America and in 1920 started building the stone structure which he opened for the public in 1923.

Historically speaking, building a structure for a loved one is a common gesture. What’s not common, however, is building a structure single-handedly, and that’s what the 5feet, 100lbs Leedskalnin did. It’s as if he used an unknown science and really ‘discovered the secrets of the pyramids..’ as he said.

But the secretive immigrant preferred to work alone and at night under lantern light that no one can give any creditable evidence as to how he really accomplished such an impossible task except for few teenagers claiming to have witnessed Leedskalnin making blocks of coral move like hydrogen balloons using only a perpetual motion holder.

Regretfully, the secret behind the construction of the Coral Castle was taken by Leedskanin down to his grave as he died of stomach cancer in 1951 three days after he had taken himself to a hospital by riding a bus.

In 1984, Leedskalnin’s marvelous creation was added to the National Register of Historic Places under the name “Rock Gate” but the name was changed to Coral Castle in 2011.

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