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| Covered Bridge Rd, VT 05672, USA (Stowe, Vermont)
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| Information |
Gold Brook Bridge
Although the real name of this bridge is the Gold Brook Bridge (or Stowe Hollow Bridge), it has become widely known as Emily's Bridge for the legends and strange experiences that are associated with it. John W. Smith designed and built the one-lane bridge in 1844 to provide passage over Gold Brook (so named for flakes of gold that were found on its banks) for residents of nearby Stowe in Lamoille County, Vermont. In 1969, residents of Stowe passed a resolution to forever maintain this Howe truss-designed bridge and placed their declaration on a bronze plaque near the east portal.
Emily's Bridge
Though there has never been any documentation that these stories ever happened, there are several different legends attached to this bridge and all pertain to a local resident by the name of Emily (sometimes given the same surname of its builder - Emily Smith). It is said that Emily met her death on this bridge, but accounts vary as to how. Some say she jumped from it to her death, while others say she was trampled to death on the bridge by a horse-drawn carriage or even that she accidentally drove her own carriage over the side after misjudging the corner. Regardless of the different versions about how she died, all versions put her death in the 1800s and some even using the more specific year of 1849.
Of all the versions of the legend, one stands out as being the more popular version of the tale. That version goes that Emily fell madly in love with a local boy (sometimes called Donald). The problem was that her parents disapproved and forbade her from ever seeing the boy. However, Emily ignored the wishes of her parents and continued to rendezvous with the boy at the bridge, keeping their relationship flourishing in secret. The day came when the couple decided to meet at the bridge at night to travel away and elope. Emily snuck away that night and came to the bridge as previously arranged, but her lover never appeared. She remained there in vigil throughout the night, but it proved to be all in vain. When the sun rose, she realized that her lover had abandoned her and decided to end her life by hanging herself from the rafters.
Paranormal Activity
Despite the absence of evidence of anything of the sort ever happening, claims of strange paranormal activity continue to this day. There are even stories that the activity started shortly after her death. Travelers in horse-drawn carriages found their horses refusing to enter the bridge at night. After finally getting their horses moving again and entering the bridge, they were said to hear strange cries for help or screaming. Some even reported hearing the sound of something thumping against their rooftops as if a phantom body was still hanging from the rafters and their feet were scraping across the roof. Others even experienced an icy chill of someone touching them that disappeared once they had left the bridge. More disturbingly, they often found long, deep scratches on the side of their wagon and sometimes even their horses, as if something had clawed them as they passed through.
These encounters are still being reported to this day, though the scratches that appeared on the carriages now gouge the paintjob of some passing motorists and/or even sometimes on the unfortunate motorists themselves. Additionally, people have reported seeing a young woman walking through the bridge only to disappear before their eyes. Others only see the young woman when they develop their photographs and discover the figure standing where no one had been previously when they took the photograph. Yet others report seeing strange lights in or around the bridge, either visible to the naked eye or appearing mysteriously in photographs they took.
While most occurrences seem to take place mostly at night, some insist they feel the overwhelming sense of dread or hostility from the bridge in all hours of the day. All of these encounters and stories have added up to making Emily's Bridge one of the most popular and widely known ghost stories in the state of Vermont.
Visiting Emily's Bridge
The bridge is open to the general public and lies a short distance out of the city of Stowe at the intersection of Gold Brook Road and Covered Bridge Road. There is parking available on the shoulders of the road in front of the bridge for those that wish to get out and explore on foot. It is reported that the area is patrolled and that police generally dislike people exploring the bridge at night, so take caution and check with authorities before any nighttime exploration. Similarly, the bridge is still actively used by cars and other forms of transportation and sits at a corner, so please take caution and be aware of any oncoming traffic and do not impede their passage. As always, be respectful of the local residents as well as the structure itself. |
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| Related Sites |
X-Project Paranormal Magazine: Emily's Bridge
An article from X-Project Paranormal Magazine about the reportedly haunted Emily's Bridge in Lamoille County, Vermont. |
Weird U.S.: Emily's Bridge
Weird U.S.'s entry on the reputably haunted Emily's Bridge near Stowe, Vermont. |
International Ghost Hunters Society: Emily's Bridge
An article from the International Ghost Hunters Society that explores the legends and paranormal reports from the reportedly haunted Emily's Bridge in Stowe, Vermont. |
Haunt Spot: Emily's Bridge
A telling of the Emily's Bridge ghost story, courtesy of Haunt Spot. |
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| See Also on TheCabinet.com |
| Blog: A Small Bridge and a Girl Named Emily (03/04/09) |
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| Available from Amazon.com |
Haunted America |
Green Mountain Ghosts, Ghouls & Unsolved Mysteries |
Haunted Highways |
Weird New England (Weird) |
The Vermont Ghost Guide |
Passing Strange: True Tales of New England Hauntings and Horrors |
Historic Haunted America |
Weird U.S.: Your Travel Guide to America's Local Legends and Best Kept Secrets (Weird) |
Curious New England: The Unconventional Traveler's Guide to Eccentric Destinations |
Haunted Places: The National Directory: Ghostly Abodes, Sacred Sites, UFO Landings and Other Supernatural Locations |
Spooky New England: Tales of hauntings, strange happenings, and other local lore |
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