The Builder

Edward Leedskalnin
(January 12, 1887 – December 7, 1951)

Edward Leedskalnin was a Latvian-born stonemason and self-taught engineer who created the stone sculpture garden now known as Coral Castle (originally Ed’s Place / Rock Gate) in South Florida. Federal historic documentation describes the site as an open-air garden of oolitic limestone sculptures, built in two phases beginning in 1923-1928, with part of the work moved to the current location in 1937-1938. Today, Coral Castle is preserved as a tourist attraction and recognized on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places (listed May 10, 1984). [1]

Early life in Latvia (1887–1912)

Edward Leedskalnin (Latvian: Edvards Liedskalniņš) was born on January 12, 1887. Coral Castle’s official biography says he grew up with modest means, received basic schooling, and learned stonemasonry in Latvia through family experience. [2]

Immigration to the United States (1912)

Coral Castle’s official biography states that Leedskalnin arrived in New York in 1912 aboard the SS Pennsylvania, and later traveled for work in the United States (including the Pacific Northwest). [3]

South Florida and the beginning of Coral Castle (1923)

The strongest construction timeline comes from the National Register of Historic Places nomination:

• The compound was constructed in two phases beginning in 1923.
  
  

• The earliest version of the complex (then known as Ed’s Place / Rock Gate) was located southwest of Florida City.
  
  

Florida’s state archive also preserves a Florida City-era photographic record of Leedskalnin at “Rock Gate Park,” reinforcing the site’s historical footprint in Florida City. [4]

The move to the current site (1937)

A key, specific date documented in the federal nomination:

• “A number of the sculptures … were assembled at the Florida City location but were moved to their present site in 1937.”
  
  

After relocating north of Homestead along U.S. 1, he named the new location Rock Gate, recreated the perimeter wall and tower/workshop structure, and continued fabricating additional works on-site from stone quarried at the property. [1]

Archival Note:

Some public-facing summaries (including Florida’s archive item notes) describe the move as “around 1936,” but the NRHP nomination documents the moved date as 1937, so this page follows the federal record. 

How he built it

Federal documentation describes Coral Castle / Rock Gate as an open-air garden of massive oolitic limestone sculptures, created across decades, with the Florida City works transported to the Homestead-area site in 1937. [1]

The Coral Castle museum’s official history describes Leedskalnin giving tours and maintaining strict privacy around his work process, responding to questions with short, evasive statements. [2]

What’s proven: He quarried, carved, and assembled the site’s limestone works over time; a large portion was relocated in 1937; the site survives as a coherent sculptural/architectural environment recognized by federal preservation records. [1]

Public tours, admission, and daily life on-site

Coral Castle’s official history states he opened the site to the public, gave tours, and visitors would ring a bell at the gate for him to come down from his living quarters to guide them. It also describes a pricing change after relocation (tours for ten cents; later donation-based entry). [2]

Edward Leedskalnin’s writings

Leedskalnin also produced self-published pamphlets and writings that he sold to visitors and advertised locally—texts that help document his mindset and the concepts he wanted readers to think about mostly writing about magnetism, electricity, natural forces, the human body and nature.

Final days and death (1951)

Coral Castle’s official history states that in 1951 Leedskalnin left a note reading “Going to the Hospital,” took a bus to Jackson Memorial in Miami, and died 28 days later from kidney failure and stomach cancer (or kidney infection/pyelonephritis) at age 64.

Many summaries give the specific hospital check-in date as November 9, 1951, with death on December 7, 1951  (including major public references). [5]

Quick facts

• Born: January 12, 1887 (Riga, Latvia — as stated by Coral Castle’s official biography)

• Arrived in the U.S.: 1912 (New York; SS Pennsylvania — per Coral Castle’s official biography)

• Construction began: 1923 (two phases beginning in 1923 — NRHP nomination)

• Relocation to present site: 1937 (NRHP nomination)

• Died: December 7, 1951 (widely cited; also consistent with major summaries)

• NRHP listed: May 10, 1984

Figures on This Page

• Figure 1. Edward Leedskalnin at Coral Castle

• Figure 2. Edward Leedskalnin portrait (circa 1910)

• Figure 3. Edward Leedskalnin at Rock Gate Park

• Figure 4. Edward Leedskalnin inside Coral Castle

• Figure 5. Tripod hoist and lifting rig

• Figure 6. Coral Castle (Rock Gate) admission stone

• Figure 7. Collage overview of Edward Leedskalnin’s key writings

Sources

1. National Register of Historic Places nomination (NPS PDF):

2. Coral Castle official biography (“About Ed”):

Note: Some information on the official Coral Castle website reflects oral history (stories repeated by guides/visitors) rather than primary documents. For example, “Ed’s Sweet Sixteen” appears both as a reported visitor story and as a phrase Leedskalnin defines in A Book in Every Home (1936): “I am going to tell you what I mean when I say ‘Ed’s Sweet Sixteen’. I don’t mean a sixteen year old girl…” 

3. Coral Castle official history page: 

4. Florida Memory (State Archives of Florida) – Florida City photo record (PR75957):

5. Wikipedia (supporting reference for commonly-cited death/check-in date):

Related Pages

The Tools - The Writings - The Museum