LORETTO CHAPEL

The Loretto Chapel is in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The stairs leading to the choir loft and how they were built back in 1877, is quite a story. It was built by someone just showing up one day after the nuns prayed a Novena is a miracle in itself. The guy, who ever he was, showed up riding a donkey looking for work. He was task with building a way to access the loft in the back of the church. So he designed this structure which still stands to this day and still works! He also left with out receiving payment. Now who does that????

Usually spiral staircases have a center pole to support the load, but this one does not. That is what makes it so unique. However, it can be explained because the type of wood used and how it is supported at each end which makes entire stair case act as a spring allowing the stairs to flex as a load is placed upon it. The real miracle from an engineering stand point is how could someone show up out of no where with no formal education figure this out and built it? Then leave without receiving payment!

To find the right wood he had to go to Colorado for about 6 months, bring the wood back in a horse drawn wagon in order to build this magnificant structure.

You can Google, Loretto Chapel, the Spiral Stair Case, and or the miracle of the Loretto Chapel if you want to learn more.

I consider this story and how it came to be a miriacle. I hope my photography is able to bring out the detail of this beautiful structure?