Thinking that it really existed at the Smithsonian, he wished to photograph it for his child. Dr. Cynthia Field, searching in vain for this fictitious staircase, suggested instead that he visit the Octagon, so that he could take his daughter a picture of a real staircase purported to be haunted by a ghost. Recently a homeowner from Frederick, Maryland, while wallpapering his living room, discovered an inverted cross laid into the wall level with the plastering. Envisioning a demonic infestation of his house, he called to inquire if the OAHP staff were familiar with such configurations for domestic architecture from the early 1820s. We are still concocting our response.
Any suggestions are welcome.