One of the largest, and most important, Madison-era elements missing from Montpelier at the start of Restoration was the ca. 1764 stair found off the South Passage.  The stair had been removed by the duPonts during their ca. 1901 renovations and only a small amount of evidence was left to provide information on its location or its architectural finishes.  The principal piece of evidence that revealed the stair’s location prior to the restoration was a section of patched flooring on the second floor in the Upper South Passage.  The patch clearly showed where the stair’s second floor opening had been located and allowed the investigation team to develop some preliminary thoughts on what the stair may have looked like.