Koreshan State Historic Site

Estero, Florida: In 1894, Cyrus Teed ventured into rural southern Florida to establish a “New Jerusalem”, a utopia for the followers of Koreshanity. The utopia became known as the Koreshan Unity and was a was a self preserving society until the early 1900’s.

Teed was an eclectic physician who in 1869 suffered an electrical shock during an experiment which rendered him unconscious. While unconscious, Teed believed he had a divine inspiration and was the messiah of a new religious belief. He changed his name to Koresh which is Hebrew for Cyrus and began spreading the beliefs of Koreshanity.

The beliefs of Koreshanity revolved around the core belief of Cellular Cosmogony. They believed the earth and universe were contained inside a sphere known as a cell. They spent much of their time doing science experiments trying to prove this theory. They also believed in reincarnation, immortality, alchemy, communism and celibacy.

Teed began preaching his beliefs in New York. The followers of Koreshanity endured a hostile environment due to their controversial beliefs, causing them to relocate. They eventually moved to Florida in 1894.

They settled in rural Florida on a 320 acre tract on the banks of the Estero River. They built a village consisting of a bakery, printing house, the World College of Life, a general store, concrete works, a power plant and multiple housing buildings. The printing press produced the Flaming Sword which was in production until the press burnt down in 1949. The Koreshans raised enough money to form their own political party “The Progressive Liberty Party” and incorporate the town of Estero in 1904.

The unity membership began to dwindle following the death of Teed in 1908. The surviving member, Hedwig Michel, joined in 1940 after fleeing Nazi persecution in Germany. She later died on the property in 1981 and is the only member to be buried on the property. Prior to her death, she transferred the property to the State of Florida and the Koreshan State Park was opened in 1967. The settlement was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.

Today the 200 acres park is a mix of historical village and nature trails. The settlement has been preserved and is available for tour. The Art Hall, Planetary Court, Bakery, Power Plant, Founder’s Residence and many of the cottages are open for guest to take a look back into the lives of the Koreshans. After touring the village, cross the Victorian Bridge onto Monkey Puzzle Island and the Sunken Gardens. Here you can see the Monkey Puzzle Tree, sausage trees and many other exotic species. This is also the starting point for the nature trail which travels along side the Estero River. Many animals call the park home including bobcats, foxes, otters, alligators, manatees and over 100 species of birds. The park also provides a full service campground along with picnic pavilions and a kayak and canoe launch.

For more pictures, visit my Koreshan State Historic Park photo page.

Edited November 14, 2009