Another interesting architectural element in Montpelier is the semi-flying staircase, so named because the stairs have no visible means of support. Knox's correspondence with his architect, Ebenezer Dunton, specified that the steps were to be "six inches high, one foot wide and three feet eight inches long." When the original mansion was torn down so many townspeople took balusters as souvenirs, they earned the nickname "Thomaston walking sticks." Scavenging such as this allowed the museum to accurately reconstruct many parts of the house, including the grand staircase.