Bishop Jean Baptiste Lamy was appointed by the Catholic Church to the New Mexico Territory in 1850. There, at the end of the Santa Fe Trail, he brought the Sisters of Our Lady of Light (Loretto) who opened an academy for girls in 1853. The architect, Antoine Mouly and his son were brought from Paris to design a chapel on the academy grounds. The chapel contains a beautiful spiral stairway associated with a mystical legend. An unknown carpenter volunteered to build a stairway to the choir loft. He sealed the chapel while he was working and when finished, left without a word. He created  there a beautiful spiral staircase with no visable means of support. It's amazing construction remains a mystery to this day.
Dimensions: 2" x 1 3/4"