“Coral Rock Castle (Needs Work)”

31500 SW 187 Ave., Homestead, FL 33030

Sweet castle.

Only one problem…

31500 SW 187 Ave., Homestead, FL 33030

…inside (if you can call it that), is a bit of a disaster.

31500 SW 187 Ave., Homestead, FL 33030

“Needs work,” in listing agent speak.

31500 SW 187 Ave., Homestead, FL 33030

$1.4 million seems a bit high to me for a few castle walls and a burned-out, weathered shell in southern Florida, a.k.a. Hurricane Central.

Found by: Christin C.

About the Author

Marty E.
Naked Loon Editor-in-Chief

9 Comments on "“Coral Rock Castle (Needs Work)”"

  1. When looking at the photos, love the pictures with the palm tree on the fence..and the beef jerky sign ;)

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  2. Well, it’s land in Florida… and the listing realtor whispers the presumably professional opinion that real estate development could exist there again as a concept. Traditionally, that’s about all it takes.

    I hope they (continue to) preserve what stands of the castle.

    This was built back when Homestead was an actual howling wilderness being settled by actual homesteaders; folks built stuff like this back then, if they had the means. From search gleanings, I conjecture that the family have held this parcel ever since, and that the well-beloved patriarch born not long after the family settled there has lately passed… no doubt having endured, like the old home’s walls, far more experiences than any roof may ever weather. Actual native-born Floridians are a rare breed.

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  3. Emerald63 | July 6, 2014 at 10:16 PM |

    Homestead? As in the Homestead? I thought there was no there there anymore, not after Andrew. (O_o) I guess we know what probably happened to this place then, eh? A pity, whatever done her in. Looks like it was a right nice place once upon a time (c. 1932).

    Now though… I suppose gutting it is mandatory. You might be able to make something out of the shell, except… why would you want to? Sure, it’s pretty cool. But it’s also smack between a light industrial/warehouse area (one place has giant pre-made concrete sewer junction boxes ready to deliver) and what looks to be a tractor-trailer graveyard. There are a few houses to one side, but none look much bigger than a 2-car garage, let alone include one. Considering there would need to be multiple zoning changes to make it a “neighborhood” worth living in, I’m not gonna hold my breath. Like the sign blocking the entrance says, “Keep Out.” Works for me.

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  4. Emerald63 | July 6, 2014 at 10:20 PM |

    Ah, forgot to ask… looking at google maps of the area, there’s a really odd formation of what looks to be small canals, almost like a maze, but of waterways over on the coast. It’s just to the south of Turkey Point Nuclear Power Station, so maybe it’s a cooling pond of sorts. But there’s no roads with street views available. Anyone know for sure what this might be? It’s a whopping 2 miles wide by 4-5 miles long. The only other thing I can think of is an evaporation field to produce sea salt. Any other ideas?

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  5. Looking at the area, it’s full of foreclosures and other homes for sale. It’s not a good place to even develop the property at this time.

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  6. Emerald: Yes, that series of canals is part of the cooling system for the nuclear power plant. But they are also- accidentally at first, but now on purpose- the primiere breeding ground for American alligators:

    http://www.cbsnews.com/news/endangered-crocs-make-a-comeback/

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  7. Emerald63 | July 9, 2014 at 10:11 PM |

    @Paradox: Paradox? The Paradox?! Buddy!!! Longtime no see your handle! Welcome aboard! (Pun intended in your case.)

    Thanks for the 411 on the watery maze. That’s just pretty freakin’ cool. Good to know we didn’t manage to annihilate something that’s been around since before the dinosaurs. The Gods know we can’t even manage to keep good taste from near extinction, and that should be a whole lot easier to keep intact. :D

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  8. @Emerald– Yes, the one and only, red-with-white-polka-dots Paradox, who has been enjoying a nice long lurk here and thinks it worthwhile to pop out of the topsoil occasionally with a comment or three… :-D

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  9. @Paradox: I shoulda known, what with all the rain you’ve been getting. ;)

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