A stairway goes up to nowhere in a woodshop. No grand foyer at the bottom, no upper floor waiting at the top—just a full-scale helical structure surrounded by tools, machinery, and carefully prepared pieces of wood. But this unfinished staircase is also something much more: an intersection of centuries-old craftsmanship and contemporary engineering. Wondering what it is? Well, there is a stairway being built for the restoration of a historic home in Newport, Rhode Island. It is a Mark Richey Woodworking’s design and a revival of a late 16th century European method of building stairs, and uses modern computer modeling and manufacturing technology to achieve accurate results. According to an online report by Markrichey website, Newport is known for its grand Gilded Age homes, famously and somewhat facetiously referred to as “summer cottages.” Buildings like The Breakers, Miramar and Hammersmith Farm helped make the city a showcase of American architectural history. And this private residence being restored has undergone many renovations over the years. The current owners wanted to modernize the property but keep the character and craftsmanship that was part of the original design, states the online report.
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