The Coral Castle Museum is a 1,000+ ton limestone structure in the middle of Homestead and Leisure City, Florida. It's on the National Register of Historic Places and with good reason. In the mid 20th century, a 5-foot tall Latvian emigrant, Edward Leedskalnin, built it with primitive tools, i.e. nonelectric, and allegedly using the same secrets the pyramids of Giza were built with. It's a physical marvel. Contests have been held for modern day engineers to attempt to recreate the features Ed built; like the 8-ton rock gate that a child can move with the push of a finger. None have been able to replicate.
Ed was 26 years old and still living in Latvia when his 16 year old fiancée dumped him. It could be his weird moral ideologies. Ed published lots of pamphlets. One details very specific recommendations for parents on how to raise and keep your girls "pure". He also thought that only property owners should vote and in proportion to the amount of property you owned. He claimed the "strength" of making a living should be a determinant for whether an individual had the "strength" to vote. In the Castle Garden, Ed created a timeout corner were he had a shaded seat to watch over his children and his wife repent as they laid their heads in holes he formed in the limestone. If you have further questions on Ed and his love life, I direct you to Billy Idol's "Sweet Sixteen". It was written about Ed and the Coral Castle.
Ed's father was a stone mason and it's been said he learned the principles of the craft from him. When Ed began construction, rumors started to spread. How did such a small man source all this limestone, sculpt it, and move it without any electric tools, by himself? Ed worked mostly at night and the only people believed to see Ed work were teenagers who were sneaking around. They claimed he was building the castle with his mind. In fact, Ed never came out and said just how he built the castle. He would tell people it was quite simple if you know how.
In fact, Ed was a major magnetism theorist. In addition to the moral pamphlets, he wrote about magnetism, it's properties on the human body and it's role in electricity. He believed that scientists of the day were missing the whole picture with magnets. His theories apply to his work in that the magnetic properties, that he believe are in all things, can be used to move against the Earth's own magnetism.
Ed had been diagnosed with terminal tuberculosis before moving to Florida. He claimed that magnets cured him.
Today, Ed's magnetic theories still generate much speculation. His methods were neither revealed nor replicated. His unrequited love story combined with his mystical construction methods have sealed the Coral Castle and Ed's status as popular culture icons.
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