Koreshan State Historic Site
Encyclopedia
The Koreshan State Historic Site is a state park in Lee County, Florida
located on U.S. Highway 41 at Corkscrew Road. It was also added to the National Register of Historic Places
on May 4, 1976 under the designation of Koreshan Unity Settlement Historic District.
It contains areas of pine flatwoods
habitat and the site of a religious colony, the Koreshan Unity
, whose last members deeded the land to the state in 1961.
, which is indigenous to South America and drops seed pods as large as a football, a number of Sausage Trees
, which are native to Africa and a favored food of Giraffes, Mango
and other fruit bearing trees, an extraordinary amount of Japanese Bamboo that originally hails from the Edison and Ford Winter Estates
, and many flowering trees and plants of a wide variety.
of the park are Gopher Tortoise
s, Bobcat
s, Gray fox
es, North American River Otters and American Alligator
s, as well as such birds as Swallow-tailed Kite
s, Bald Eagle
s, Northern Bobwhites, and Red-shouldered Hawk
s.
, picnic
king, and boating, as well as camping, canoe
ing, hiking
, and wildlife viewing. Amenities include a campground, boat ramp, canoe rentals, trails and a picnic area on the Estero River
. Beach activities along the Gulf
, and kayak rentals on the river are available within a relatively short distance outside the park.
Lee County, Florida
Lee County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. Located in southwest Florida, the principal cities in the county are Fort Myers and Cape Coral...
located on U.S. Highway 41 at Corkscrew Road. It was also added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on May 4, 1976 under the designation of Koreshan Unity Settlement Historic District.
It contains areas of pine flatwoods
Flatwoods
Flatwoods, Pineywoods, Longleaf Pine-Wiregrass Ecosystem refers to an ecological community in the Southeastern coastal plain of North America...
habitat and the site of a religious colony, the Koreshan Unity
Koreshan Unity
The Koreshan Unity was a communal utopia formed by Cyrus Teed, who took the name "Koresh", the Hebrew version of his name Cyrus . The Koreshans followed Teed's beliefs, called Koreshanity....
, whose last members deeded the land to the state in 1961.
Flora
The Koreshans imported a wide range of plant species from across the world, including: A Monkey Puzzle TreeAraucaria araucana
Araucaria araucana is an evergreen tree growing to tall with a trunk diameter. The tree is native to central and southern Chile, western Argentina and south Brazil. Araucaria araucana is the hardiest species in the conifer genus Araucaria...
, which is indigenous to South America and drops seed pods as large as a football, a number of Sausage Trees
Kigelia
Kigelia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Bignoniaceae. The genus comprises only one species, Kigelia africana, which occurs throughout tropical Africa from Eritrea and Chad south to northern South Africa, and west to Senegal and Namibia.-Etymology:The genus name comes from the...
, which are native to Africa and a favored food of Giraffes, Mango
Mango
The mango is a fleshy stone fruit belonging to the genus Mangifera, consisting of numerous tropical fruiting trees in the flowering plant family Anacardiaceae. The mango is native to India from where it spread all over the world. It is also the most cultivated fruit of the tropical world. While...
and other fruit bearing trees, an extraordinary amount of Japanese Bamboo that originally hails from the Edison and Ford Winter Estates
Edison and Ford Winter Estates
The Edison and Ford Winter Estates contain a historical museum and 17 acre botanical garden on the adjacent sites of the winter homes of Thomas Alva Edison and Henry Ford beside the Caloosahatchee River in southwestern Florida. It is located at 2350 McGregor Boulevard, Fort Myers, Florida, USA...
, and many flowering trees and plants of a wide variety.
Fauna
Among the wildlifeWildlife
Wildlife includes all non-domesticated plants, animals and other organisms. Domesticating wild plant and animal species for human benefit has occurred many times all over the planet, and has a major impact on the environment, both positive and negative....
of the park are Gopher Tortoise
Gopherus polyphemus
The gopher tortoise is a species of the Gopherus genus native to the southeastern United States. The gopher tortoise is seen as a keystone species because it digs burrows that provide shelter for 360 other animal species...
s, Bobcat
Bobcat
The bobcat is a North American mammal of the cat family Felidae, appearing during the Irvingtonian stage of around 1.8 million years ago . With twelve recognized subspecies, it ranges from southern Canada to northern Mexico, including most of the continental United States...
s, Gray fox
Gray Fox
The gray fox is a mammal of the order Carnivora ranging throughout most of the southern half of North America from southern Canada to the northern part of South America...
es, North American River Otters and American Alligator
American Alligator
The American alligator , sometimes referred to colloquially as a gator, is a reptile endemic only to the Southeastern United States. It is one of the two living species of alligator, in the genus Alligator, within the family Alligatoridae...
s, as well as such birds as Swallow-tailed Kite
Swallow-tailed Kite
The Swallow-tailed Kite is an elanid kite which breeds from the southeastern United States to eastern Peru and northern Argentina. Most North and Central American breeders winter in South America where the species is resident year round...
s, Bald Eagle
Bald Eagle
The Bald Eagle is a bird of prey found in North America. It is the national bird and symbol of the United States of America. This sea eagle has two known sub-species and forms a species pair with the White-tailed Eagle...
s, Northern Bobwhites, and Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
The Red-shouldered Hawk is a medium-sized hawk. Its breeding range spans eastern North America and along the coast of California and northern to northeastern-central Mexico.-Description:...
s.
Recreational Activities
Activities include fishingFishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
, picnic
Picnic
In contemporary usage, a picnic can be defined simply as a pleasure excursion at which a meal is eaten outdoors , ideally taking place in a beautiful landscape such as a park, beside a lake or with an interesting view and possibly at a public event such as before an open air theatre performance,...
king, and boating, as well as camping, canoe
Canoe
A canoe or Canadian canoe is a small narrow boat, typically human-powered, though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors. Canoes are usually pointed at both bow and stern and are normally open on top, but can be decked over A canoe (North American English) or Canadian...
ing, hiking
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
, and wildlife viewing. Amenities include a campground, boat ramp, canoe rentals, trails and a picnic area on the Estero River
Estero River (Florida)
The Estero River is a waterway in south Lee County, Florida, near the census-designated place of Estero. It flows from east to west, emptying into Estero Bay, an inlet of the Gulf of Mexico.-General Information:Topography:...
. Beach activities along the Gulf
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
, and kayak rentals on the river are available within a relatively short distance outside the park.
External links
- Koreshan State Historic Site - official site
- Unofficial site of the Koreshan State Historic Site - history of the Koreshans