: On the ninth day, a mysterious stranger appeared with only a donkey and a toolbox.
: The sisters prayed a nine-day novena to St. Joseph, the patron saint of carpenters. buy spiral staircase
In the late 1800s, sisters at the Loretto Academy found their newly built chapel lacked a way to reach the choir loft. Carpenters claimed a staircase would take up too much room in the small space and suggested a ladder instead. : On the ninth day, a mysterious stranger
: The man disappeared without ever asking for payment or revealing his identity. Modern engineers still marvel at the design, which was built without nails—only wooden pegs—and uses a type of spruce not native to New Mexico. Modern Buying Stories & Considerations : On the ninth day