Studio39Designs

Koreshan Historic Village Site

While in the Fort Myers, FL, area, we stayed at a state park that is a historic village site. In 1869, claiming a “divine illumination”, Cyrus Reed Teed attracted followers who first followed him to Chicago, and then later to Florida.  He took the biblical name “Koresh” and began building his “New Jerusalem” at the village site.

Bridge to the Village

We followed a trail thru the Florida woods, and entered the village via a bridge.  It was a simple design, and yet there was a fancier looking design to the bridge.

Different Bridge Design

Koreshan expected to attrach millions to his new religion.  Koreshanity believed that the Earth was a hollow shell holding all life within it.  He also believed that he, himself, was immortal.  What a shock it must have been to him when he died in 1908.  Needless to say, the religion began to fall apart with his death, and, for all practical purposes, ended in the early 1940s.  The last follower turned over this property to the state in the early 1960s.

Rockers on the Porch

These rockers sat on the porch of what was a sort of meeting room.  It was empty now, but probably quite large for the followers of Koreshan.

Stately Home with Spanish Moss

I call this a house, but it was technically called the Planetary Court, where the leaders would meet and work.  Most of the leaders, especially after Koreshan’s death, were women.

Window into Yesterday

They did have some of the buildings restored to what they looked like back in the popular years of Koreshanity.  I loved this image of sort of peeking into yesterday.

Art Studio

Isn’t this a lovely art studio?  Inside, there was a nice open room with a stage.  The park ranger in there explained that this is where entertainment would be put on periodically, and services held, altho not held to any schedule.  The followers that were musically inclined actually made up a half-orchestra, and the likes of Firestone, Edison and other famous men and their wives would come to the entertainment evenings.  If walls could talk!

Number 12 Rocker

This small cabin was probably a place where one of the followers lived.  It was a small cabin, probably only large enough for one family or a couple of followers bunking together.

Sittin’ Space

I liked the bench that was just sitting along the path around the village.  Perhaps people from the nearby cabin would sit out there to visit with neighbors, or others would take a rest there for a few moments during their walk around the grounds, coming back from services – who knows?  It just looks like it has countless stories from days gone by.

Enjoy!