I did watch a made-for-TV movie from 1998 that I've always liked. It fictionalizes the story of the staircase at the Sisters of Loretto chapel in Santa Fe, New Mexico. It was built in 1880-1881 by a man who appeared rather mysteriously, and left without being paid after it was completed. Barbara Hershey and William Petersen. You can see the entire thing free here. Only warning is the quality of the video is pretty bad. It may be available with better resolution somewhere for a fee.
See The Staircase
I went in search of more info on the true story. I did find it, and it sort of blunts the mystery, but I'm glad to know it anyway. Actually, until the early 2000s no one had any idea of the carpenter. Of course, words like "miracle" and "Saint Joesph" appeared often in the stories. The backstory in the movie is pretty much fabricated, except for the fact that a staircase was not built in the original construction
The second video is Jimmy Akin's Mysterious World which gives a good overview of the myths and what facts have actually been learned. In any case, the staircase itself is still considered a marvel of construction by modern carpenters.
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