Koreshan Unity Settlement Historic District
Posted by: 
sfwife
N 26° 25.879 W 081° 48.889
17R E 418753 N 2923708
The Koreshan Unity was one of several communal societies in the United States at the turn of the century.
Waymark Code: WM2BK3
Location: Florida, United States
Date Posted: 10/07/2007
Views: 50
Dr. Cyrus Teed (Koresh) came to Florida with ideas of a "New Jerusalem". In his words: "It is the purpose of the Koreshan unity to inaugurate the construction of a great city. It is the preparation for the establishment of an industrial system, destined by revolution - not rioutous, but peaceable, to extend throughout the world and to have its center of operation in Estero."
The early Koreshans established the Home Grounds as the center of what they wanted to become the "New Jerusalem". This planned city would accomodate up to ten million people. Along with plans for this new Jerusalem, Teed also had other beliefs, such as that the entire universe existed within a giant, hollow sphere.
What remains of their plans is the Koreshan State Historic Site in Estero Florida. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.
There are many buildings that have been preserved. Among others, they are the bakery, the Founders' House, large and small machine shops, planetary court (where the seven women who governed the settlement lived), and the "new" general store. Many of the buildings have artifacts from the original settlement.
When you enter the Site, you will stop to pay an entrance fee of $3.00 for a single person or $4.00 per carload. They will give you a pamphlet and direct you to the buildings where you can take a self-guided tour through the property. In some of the buildings, such as the planetary court, there is a person to help answer questions. In the Founders' House there is a 20 minute DVD about the history of the settlement.
Hours of operation are 8am to sundown 365 days a year.
Street address:
Corkscrew Road
Estero, FL USA
33928
County / Borough / Parish: Lee
Year listed: 1976
Historic (Areas of) Significance: Person, Architecture/Engineering, Event
Periods of significance: 1875-1899, 1900-1924
Historic function: Commerce/Trade, Domestic, Religion
Current function: Landscape, Recreation And Culture
Privately owned?: no
Season start / Season finish: From: 01/01/2007 To: 12/31/2007
Hours of operation: From: 8:00 AM To: 5:30 PM
Primary Web Site: [Web Link]
Secondary Website 1: [Web Link]
Secondary Website 2: Not listed
National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
Please give the date and brief account of your visit. Include any additional observations or information that you may have, particularly about the current condition of the site. Additional photos are highly encouraged, but not mandatory.