If you will be traveling near Miami or anywhere in the southern Florida region of the United States, you will undoubtedly want to check out the Coral Castle. Located just 10 miles from Florida City on Highway 1, this tourist attraction receives tens of thousands of visitors every year so they can admire and be amazed at one of America’s only megalithic structures. Created less than 100 years ago, Edward Leedskalnin, better known as Ed, constructed an 1100 ton masterpiece made completely of coral, a structure only rivaled by more popular tourist destinations such as Stonehenge in England and the megaliths of Carnac located near Brittany, France.

Originally called “Rock Gate Park”, the Coral Castle is a complex built entirely of coral. Its builder, Edward Leedskalnin, constructed this structure over a 20 year period from 1920 until about 1940. Standing only 5 feet tall and weighing a mere 100 pounds, the mystery and the secrets behind the Coral Castle and its builder still confound experts today.

As the story goes, and Leedskalnin was engaged to be married to his sweetheart named Agnes Scuffs. Ed was infatuated with her and affectionately called her his “Sweet 16″. Ed called her this because he was 26 years old at the time and she was nearly 16.

Just 24 hours before their betrothal, Ed received the bad news. Agnes no longer wanted to marry Ed. Though he loved her, she could not return his love in the same way. There are many possibilities as to the motivations that led Agnes to no longer want Ed in her life. It could have been his lack of education. It could’ve been his lack of money. Whatever the case, her rejection of him was firm and life-changing.

Ed was a simple man. He had wanted to start a family with Agnes Scuffs, his “Sweet Sixteen” that jilted him the day before their betrothal for one of many popularized reasons. Some say that she rejected Ed because he was too poor and could not support her needs. Other possibilities are that Ed was too old for Agnes, who was 10 years younger, or that he only had a fourth-grade education. Whatever the reason, this rejection set Ed on an epic journey that would lead him to create a structure that modern scientists cannot replicate today.

During his journeys, Ed Leedskalnin traveled throughout Canada, California, and eventually ended up in Texas. He worked in the lumber industry and also took part in cattle drives. The image of Ed is one of a rugged who would be able to tackle the greatest challenges. Unfortunately, his luck ran out after arriving in the state of Texas.

Those that have seen the Coral Castle in Homestead believe that these very laborious jobs made Ed into a very strong man and allowed him to move the 1100 tons of coral that would eventually be known as the Coral Castle. The story seems to be in contrast to the fact that he developed tuberculosis and nearly died after contracting it.

After recovering from his bout with tuberculosis, and purchased an acre of land from the realtor that help save his life. This land was located near Florida City. Aesthetically, this land was not the best land for an immigrant or anyone to begin building upon. Even though he only paid $12 for this one acre, is here that Ed began his journey toward the miraculous and began to build the structure that we know today as the Coral Castle.

Armed with the belief that America was the land of extremes came true, and began to build in business for himself. Constructing what has been called a garden of rocks; Ed quarried, lifted, and sculpted domestically shaped pieces of coral directly out of the ground that he purchased. Ed carved out chairs, tables, and even a 30 ton obelisk that stood 40 feet high without using modern machinery.

The history of Florida is quite amazing, with coral playing a large role in the construction of the state itself. Over several thousand feet thick in some areas, coral can be easily found just a few inches under the topsoil. Ed’s initial creations were domestic representations of things that related to the life that she wanted to have. He created chairs, tables, beds, and even a crib made of solid coral for the child that he would never have.

A few articles were written about Edward Leedskalnin in regard to the Coral Castle and how it was made. There are a few pictures that exist that show Ed working on the construction of the Coral Castle, but no one ever saw him actually working. No one ever saw him move a single piece of coral into place or take it out of the ground.

One of Ed’s greatest creations is a single piece of coral called the Obelisk which weighs nearly 30 tons, stands 40 feet above the ground, and rests in the 6 foot deep hole. Today, modern engineers and modern equipment would be unable to duplicate what Ed was able to do with simple tools over 70 years ago. His secrets died with him in Miami in 1951, secrets that still puzzle modern engineers today.

In the 1980s, the most famous part of the Coral Castle, the 9 ton gate, stopped working because it had worn the ball bearings upon which it rested and turned flat. Engineers and workers from the University of Miami came to fix it, along with a 60 ton crane. After their attempt to fix this 18,000 pound door, it is still possible to turn this gate, but it is no longer perfectly balanced, something that Ed and did all by himself without the aid of engineers or a 60 ton crane to help in the lifting.

Going against all odds, and coming back from a disease that almost killed him, Edward Leedskalnin has created one of the most amazing megalithic structures in the modern world. Although the Coral Castle is a tourist attraction today, just 30 miles south of Miami, is much more than a sideshow attraction. Ed Leedskalnin said that he knew the secrets of the pyramids. Sadly, Ed died with his secrets still in him but fortunately for all of us a legacy of his life is still available in South Florida today. If you are ever in the Miami area, check out the Coral Castle. You will be amazed and astounded by what one man, Edward Leedskalnin, was able to do.