# Are There Any Mysterious MODERN Monuments or Structures? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 30, 2004, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-mysterious-modern-monuments-or-structures/257582 "2004-07-30T12:31:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2004, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-mysterious-modern-monuments-or-structures/257582/21 "2004-07-31T06:18:08Z")
> [@FriarTed](#): > > Am I the first to mention the Coral Castle of Miami, Florida?!?!!? > [http://www.coralcastle.com/home.asp](http://www.coralcastle.com/home.asp) The work of Edward Leedskalnin was the first thing I thought of when I saw this thread. Possible explanations for the mystery of his accomplishments would make an excellent thread I think…if anyone really has any idea, that is. Maybe I’ll start one early in the day when maximum people will see it. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2004, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-mysterious-modern-monuments-or-structures/257582/22 "2004-07-31T16:16:22Z")
> [@Starving Artist](#): > > The work of Edward Leedskalnin was the first thing I thought of when I saw this thread. Possible explanations for the mystery of his accomplishments would make an excellent thread I think…if anyone really has any idea, that is. Maybe I’ll start one early in the day when maximum people will see it. Minor Hijack - what’s that castle made of? I thought coral was rather rare and expensive, so it can’t be all coral, can it? Is it made of ground up seashells & cement or something? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Garfield226](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Garfield226](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Garfield226)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2004, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-mysterious-modern-monuments-or-structures/257582/23 "2004-07-31T17:07:11Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > Minor Hijack - what’s that castle made of? I thought coral was rather rare and expensive, so it can’t be all coral, can it? Is it made of ground up seashells & cement or something? > > 😕 From the link’s FAQ: > [@](#): > > Where did Ed get all the coral rock to build the Castle? > Answer: All the coral was harvested from Ed’s property in Florida City and Homestead. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2004, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-mysterious-modern-monuments-or-structures/257582/24 "2004-07-31T19:42:42Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > Minor Hijack - what’s that castle made of? I thought coral was rather rare and expensive, so it can’t be all coral, can it? Is it made of ground up seashells & cement or something? > > 😕 There is a gem grade coral- which is a branched coral- and yes, that is both rare & expensive. It’s considered a “semiprecious” gem. But other types of coral are very common. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Doubt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/df705f/32.png) [@Peter\_Doubt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Doubt)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2004, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-mysterious-modern-monuments-or-structures/257582/25 "2004-07-31T19:52:16Z")
[The Watts Tower](http://www.janesaddictions.com/rodia01.htm). I read a fiction story that states there were rumors about several powerful cars welded in place at the base of each leg, and hidden underground. Always made it seem mysterious to me. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2004, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-mysterious-modern-monuments-or-structures/257582/26 "2004-07-31T21:33:44Z")
[Tovrea Castle](http://phoenix.gov/PARKS/tovrea.html) in Phoenix. ---
**Author:** ![cornflakes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@cornflakes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cornflakes)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2004, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-mysterious-modern-monuments-or-structures/257582/27 "2004-07-31T22:01:26Z")
We’ve [done the Coral Castle before](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=143248&highlight=coral+castle), in General Questions. Coral isn’t very dense, and there are pictures of Edward Leedskalnin using block and tackle to build it. Besides, the castle isn’t that big and it still took decades to build. ---
**Author:** ![bonzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/45deac/32.png) [@bonzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bonzer)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2004, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-mysterious-modern-monuments-or-structures/257582/28 "2004-07-31T23:59:25Z")
> [@caveman](#): > > Isn’t there a mausoleum or some such in England with a “mysterious coded message” carved into it? I recall reading about a (husband & wife?) team of codebreakers announcing that they were working on a solution to it a few months back… You’re thinking of [the Shepherd’s Monument at Shugborough](http://www.staffordshire.gov.uk/live/welcome.asp?id=2135), which has apparently attracted the attention of [Oliver and Sheila Lawn](http://www.guardian.co.uk/arts/news/story/0,11711,1214603,00.html). However most of monuments at Shugborough date from roughly the 1760s and this one was probably also built in this period - it therefore, strictly, falls before the time suggested in the OP. Furthermore, despite the attention paid to it by “alternative” researchers since it was included in passing in _The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail_ (entirely on account of the obvious Poussin reference), this isn’t a particularly outstanding example of a puzzle from that era. There are plenty of inscriptions on old paintings and monuments that can’t now be understood. All too often, a meaning that was once either obvious or personal has been rendered unrecoverable simply by the passage of time. There’s little reason to single this example out. ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2004, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-mysterious-modern-monuments-or-structures/257582/29 "2004-08-01T00:18:52Z")
Something really interesting is happening at [Denver International Airport](http://www.geocities.com/Baja/5692/) , according to some people. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2004, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-mysterious-modern-monuments-or-structures/257582/30 "2004-08-01T01:45:22Z")
> [@Lamar Mundane](#): > > Something really interesting is happening at [Denver International Airport](http://www.geocities.com/Baja/5692/) , according to some people. I smell LaRouche. Or maybe my cat missed the sandbox again. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Miskatonic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.miskatonic/32/310_2.png) [@Mr.Miskatonic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Miskatonic)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2004, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-mysterious-modern-monuments-or-structures/257582/31 "2004-08-01T03:06:53Z")
[A few of these might throw off the future archeologists.](http://www.agilitynut.com/mim5.html) ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2004, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-mysterious-modern-monuments-or-structures/257582/32 "2004-08-01T03:33:12Z")
> [@picunurse](#): > > Seattle had a mysterious monolith that appears, dissapears, and reappears periodicly. Very mysterious. The sun? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Wonko\_The\_Sane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/258eb7/32.png) [@Wonko\_The\_Sane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wonko_The_Sane)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2004, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-mysterious-modern-monuments-or-structures/257582/33 "2004-08-01T04:15:05Z")
Mr. Miskatonic- I was thinking about that giant tooth! It’s near where I live, and it’s in an area labelled “grounds for sculpture”. There are some odd pits and excavations in the pine barrens of NJ, that were used to mine minerals and clay. You wouldn’t know it though, they just look like barren pits in the forest, and some are full of groundwater, making very nice, powder-blue lakes. In the western end of the pine barrens of NJ, there’s “Mount Jemima” which is a 30 ft tall ridge (for the pine barrens, that’s big), with very steep sides, that just shows up, and seems to go on for quite a while. It’s made of gravel, sand and clay, and has some rather old trees on it. There’s no nearby holes that it would have been excavated from, as I’ve seen in other areas, and I can’t think of any geological reason for it to be there. It’s odd, but I’m assuming it’s natural, but I’m not sure. I can’t seem to find out all that much about it. ---
**Author:** ![Cherry2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cherry2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cherry2000)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2004, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-mysterious-modern-monuments-or-structures/257582/34 "2004-08-01T04:16:56Z")
[minor hijack] The Coral Castle is pretty darn cool, actually…if you ever get a chance to visit, I highly recommend it. Pictures just really don’t do it justice. It’s not just the “how to’s” of the phsical construction (which is still pretty amazing…some of those pieces are darn big, no matter what they are made of!). It’s the way things are designed. Everything is very deliberate, even if it just appears to be a pice of ornamental fluff at first glance. And you wouldn’t believe how comfortable a chaise lounge carved out of coral actually is…I almost fell asleep sitting on one. [/end minor hijack] ---
**Author:** ![Wonko\_The\_Sane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/258eb7/32.png) [@Wonko\_The\_Sane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wonko_The_Sane)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2004, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-mysterious-modern-monuments-or-structures/257582/35 "2004-08-01T04:17:53Z")
Sorry, that should be “Jemima Mount”, not “Mount Jemima”. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2004, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-mysterious-modern-monuments-or-structures/257582/36 "2004-08-01T12:40:49Z")
There used to be a huge wooden chair on a hill to the east of Highway 2 (the Coastal Road), the main Haifa-Tell-Aviv freeway, just south of Atlit. About 30 foot tall and facing the sea, it was a mystery to the thousands of drivers who passed by it every day. My sister, an adventurous type, once climbed on and found a plaque reading “In Memory of Giants”. Asking around, she learned that it had been built by some local kids to honor a friend who had died in combat - not a rare occurance in these parts, unfortunately. It seems he had loved the sea. The authorities tore it down a few years ago. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2004, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-mysterious-modern-monuments-or-structures/257582/37 "2004-08-01T13:13:09Z")
Maybe after the apocalypse and our molemen descendents return to the surface of the earth in A.D. 20000 from subterannean exile, they will see remnants of multistory architecture and skyscrapers and assume we were a race of flying creatures, or maybe a tower of Babel mythos/archetype will be used to explain our demise. ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2004, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-mysterious-modern-monuments-or-structures/257582/38 "2004-08-01T16:25:32Z")
There’s the [Georgia Guidestones](http://roadsidegeorgia.com/site/guidestones.html). Depending on who you ask they’re the source of [“intense vibrations along with feelings of peace”](http://www.aquarius-atlanta.com/narticles/mystery.html) (due to the “many lines of energy from the earth’s magnetic grid” which cross at the site); or [“an important link to the Occult Hierarchy that dominates the world in which we live”](http://www.radioliberty.com/stones.htm). (Or, even, conceivably, they’re big blocks of granite put up by some well-intentioned person with a bit more money than good sense.). And then of course there’s the [Big Chicken](http://roadsidegeorgia.com/site/bigchicken.html). ---
**Author:** ![BytopianDream](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9de0a6/32.png) [@BytopianDream](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BytopianDream)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2004, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-mysterious-modern-monuments-or-structures/257582/39 "2004-08-01T18:23:00Z")
[CarHenge?](http://www.carhenge.com/) Seems pretty random and bizarre to me. ---
**Author:** ![Gamaliel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b487fb/32.png) [@Gamaliel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gamaliel)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2004, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-mysterious-modern-monuments-or-structures/257582/40 "2004-08-01T18:54:57Z")
_“I know you hate that mystic shit.” - Lou Reed_ It annoys me that they have to make places like Coral Castle the product of some sort of bullshit mystery, like magnetic manipulation or the long lost secrets of the Egyptian voodoo ninja wizards. Its real story is compelling enough, the sad and tortured drive of one man and the back breaking labor of 28 years. But that’s not enough, it must be magic! Idiots. :smack: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-mysterious-modern-monuments-or-structures/257582.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-mysterious-modern-monuments-or-structures/257582.md?page=3)