Weird Florida? Try Koreshan Site and celibate cult of 'cellular cosmogony'

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koreshan siteIf you’re looking for a day trip, or an excuse to travel south along the Gulf Coast, try the Koreshan State Historic Site near Fort Myers.

It’s a beautiful spot along the Estero River that happens to have some of the strangest history in the state.

Back in 1894, a charismatic prophet named Cyrus Teed left Chicago to establish a utopian colony along the inhospitable Gulf Coast. His 250 followers battled heat, mosquitoes and alligators. They built residences and an arts hall as the start of what might become a New Jerusalem.

The Koreshans practiced celibacy — men and women lived apart — and thought they could become immortal. But that’s not all. Teed preached what was called “cellular cosmogony,” which was the belief that the people of Earth live within a hollow sphere.

“We Live Inside,” was the community slogan printed on lapel pins and lecture announcements. Sometimes, there was a comic tag line: “Drop In and See Us.”

allure author photoBody in a bath tub

Lyn Millner, a journalism professor at Florida Gulf Coast University, describes the Koreshan community in “The Allure of Immortality.”

Her new book, to be published in October by University Press of Florida, opens with a vivid scene.

The dead body of Cyrus Teed lies in a bathtub on Christmas Day, 1908. His followers hope the prophet will rise, but soon his flesh begins to rot. Finally he’s placed in an above-ground tomb on Fort Myers Beach that will be destroyed by a hurricane in 1921.

His band of followers, supported by a bakery and general store, held out for decades. One of the last survivors left the land, store and several buildings to the state of Florida.

This monument to cult history is what you find at the state historic site.

Built to last?

Koreshan science may have been shaky, and their finances a mess, but their construction was sound. Their wooden buildings in Estero are more than a century old, but they stand tall, with huge porches that help shade the sun.

On the blistering hot day that I visited, rocking chairs on those porches offered the only break in a self-guided tour.

Trails lead to a campground and boat ramp on the Estero River. If you don’t have your own kayak, there’s an outfitter just across U.S. 41.

How often do paddlers get to cruise so near New Jerusalem and the inside of the world?

allure book jacketInterested?

The Koreshan State Historic Site, 3800 Corkscrew Road, Estero, is open daily. $5 per vehicle. 239-992-0311.

“The Allure of Immortality:

An American Cult, a Florida Swamp and a Renegade Prophet,” by Lyn Millner, will be published in October by University Press of Florida. 800-226-3822. upf.com.

Last modified: July 30, 2015
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