DeTurk House Bank Steps Construction

Because of the absence of interior stairs from the living space to the cellar kitchen, exterior access to the lower-grade kitchen doorway required descending a steep bank to the lower-grade. This was provided by installation of a set of stone treads on a tamped sloping sub-base and 2B crushed stone base, with boulder-size bed-stones set for stability and leveling. Photo captions: #1275: tamping soil sub-base for bed-stones and treads; 1299: preparing to set top steps and upper landing; 1300: Base stones, retainers, and treads on 2B bed; 1308: setting stones on 2B crushed stone drainage base; 1322 & 1323: step-stones and 2B bed; 1341: lateral elevation view of step-stones; 1345: preparing bed for top treads and upper landing; 1359: leveling half millstone to serve as upper landing; 1360: step-stones from road-grade; 1367: typical Oley Valley sunset from DeTurk House after end of workday; 1379: backfilling after setting steps; 1380: steps from lower grade; 1385 & 1480: completed step-run on bank east of DeTurk House; 1525: posts set for hand-rail; 1529: completed installation; 6334: completed stair, with hand railing, from upper grade; 6336: completed stair, with hand railing, from lower grade. Field Notes Drawing: plan view and elevation of DeTurk House bank steps, as-built. Larry Ward, 2010