The colonists experienced harsh treatment by overseers, which resulted in rebellions and a dwindling labor force. Nine years later only about 500 remained in the settlement. Considering all of these factors, and available time, it would seem unlikely that these colonists had anything to do with building New Smyrna’s weird structure. There’s another question that needs answering––where was the quarry for the coquina rock used in the construction of the ruins? If you calculate the amount of coquina blocks that went into building this mystery, there would have to be a pretty big pit somewhere around town. In St. Augustine the old Spanish quarries can still be seen on Anastasia Island, but no such holes exist in New Smyrna.

The ruins are not indicated on maps of the colony period or mentioned in the records. However, on the 1605 Albero Mexia map, the Ais Indian village of “Caparaca” is shown at the location of the ruins. Historian Gary Luther points out that the ruins were built within a pre-existing Indian shell mound that was probably the village of Caparaca. Naturalist William Bartram reported this mound when he passed through the area in 1766 just before the arrival of the Smyrna colonists, but makes no mention of a stone structure.

In his History of New Smyrna, Gary Luther writes that in 1776 a group of Englishmen from St. Augustine visited New Smyrna “to see the improvements, especially a very large stone building that was commenced for a mansion house.” Luther adds, “Work was never completed because nearly all of the colonists, freed from their indentures, fled to St. Augustine in 1777.” Does this mean that the ruins are the remains of a foundation for an unfinished mansion? Perhaps Turnbull’s palace? In 1778, following the collapse of the Smyrna colony, Andrew Turnbull moved his family to Charleston, South Carolina.

During the second Spanish period, which began in 1783, Dr. Ambrose Hull moved down from Connecticut and under a colonization deal offered by Spain, received a grant in 1801 for 2,600 acres including the site that is now Old Fort Park. Hull began preparing his land for growing sugar and cotton but he suffered a major setback when Indians attacked his plantation. By 1803 a new settlement had evolved at New Smyrna that had a population of 500 to 600 settlers. Hull referred to the location of the ruins as “Mount Olive” because of the olive trees that had been planted there during the Turnbull colonization.

But if we are to assume that Hull built his house on existing ruins, then why does a survey map dated May 25, 1817, show “Turnbull’s Palace” at the site of the ruins and “Hull’s House” a little northwest of this location? And why did Hull make no mention the Turnbull Palace? Most likely, the surveyor simply relied on what someone had told him and not on factual information.

In 1854, John D. Sheldon built a forty room hotel and home on the ruins. During the Civil War in July 1863, this structure was destroyed when the Union navy shelled New Smyrna. In 1867 Sheldon built a new hotel constructed of wood salvaged from the beach. This building, which also housed a post office and several stores, stood until 1896 when it was torn down. (Photos: Historic photos courtesy Luther’s Publishing)

Weird Florida