In the middle of the wooden corners of old homes in New England, stand strangely shaped stairs that look as if they came out of a fairy tale. Their steps are neither straight nor stacked, but alternate right and left in an unusual pattern, so much so that they were once called Witches Stairs.
But what's the real story behind Witches Stairs? Was it really designed to exorcise witches, or is there a more realistic reason behind it?
Between the magic myth and practical reality
According to popular legend, these stairs became popular during the 17th century, during the hysteria of the Salem witch trials in Massachusetts.
It has been suggested that this winding pattern of stairs was intentionally designed because witches could not climb them. The myth explained this by saying that witches lacked balance, or that their supernatural powers prevented them from using this type of stairs... just a funny fable, nothing more. But the truth is quite different.
Sequential Design: Smart Space Management
Architecturally, these stairs are known as alternating tread stairs. They are not new, having first been documented in precise engineering form in the late 19th century.
Their idea is to reduce the space occupied by the staircase, reducing its floor footprint by nearly half without resorting to dangerous vertical staircases or steep stairs.
How does it work? Simply put, the steps alternate to accommodate the movement of your feet sequentially: one step for the right foot, then another for the left, and so on. This provides ample vertical space without sacrificing stability or safety, especially in small homes with limited space.
There is no trace of witches in historical documents
Researchers in architectural history or witchcraft trial archives have found no evidence that these stairs were ever designed to resist witches.
In fact, the term Witches Stairs only began to appear in modern times, as a result of images of these stairs being shared on social media and their association with later fabricated mythical stories, turning them into an urban legend with no basis in reality.
To date, there are no documents from the 17th century or later periods proving that people actually believed these stairs prevented the entry of supernatural beings.
Still effective today
Although they have lost their legendary charm, Witches Stairs are still used today in small homes, lofts, and apartments with limited space. They have even been developed in industrial facilities using metal materials as a safe alternative to vertical ladders in factories and ships.
Most modern building codes do not allow the use of this type of staircase in regular homes due to safety standards, but small structures or micro-homes, which have been increasingly popular in recent years, are an exception.
When myth meets human intelligence
These stairs may not prevent a witch from passing by, but they certainly prevent wasted space. They are a wonderful example of engineering innovation born of necessity, then over time acquired a faux-mythical aura.
While we smile at the naivety of this myth, we can't help but admire the intelligence of whoever designed this practical solution in a time when every inch of the house was carefully calculated. After all, not all myths are worthless... some hide genius behind them.