On a quiet road in Stowe, there lies a bridge. It is known to some as the Gold Brook Covered Bridge, but to most it goes by one name: “Emily’s Bridge.” What was once a bridge for horse and buggy is now a bridge to connect the living and the dead. On late nights, one figure stands alone, waiting for her next visitor.
There are ghost stories that can be found everywhere, and Stowe is no exception. Emily’s Bridge is a covered bridge in Stowe, built in 1844, and is regarded as one of the oldest covered bridges in the country.
One story behind the haunting goes as follows: A girl named Emily fell in love with a man, and her family disapproved of him. The two decided to elope and agreed to meet at the bridge. Emily waited that night for her intended, but he never showed up. Heartbroken over the betrayal of her fiancé and the disapproval of her family, she took her own life.
Other commonly heard versions of the tragedy say her death was the result of an accident while traveling to her wedding, and others say she was murdered by her lover after discovering she was pregnant.
Some of those who visit the bridge have reported voices and claw marks along the side of their cars, or fogged windshields with unexplainable handprints.
On the credibility of the story, it is said to be a hoax. Though the Gold Brook Covered Bridge has been reported to be haunted since 1948, references to Emily only appeared in the 1970s. A woman by the name of Nancy Stead, a former columnist for the Stowe Reporter, has stated that she fabricated the ghost story. On July 3, 2013, in an article for the Stowe Reporter written by Nathan Burgess, she claimed that she had devised the story with a couple friends due to the popularity of tales of witchcraft at the time. In addition, there are no official reports of anyone named “Emily” having died at the bridge.
Whether the tale is true or not, people have come from all over the country to see this famous bridge. Those visiting can learn more about the bridge from the informational panel at the site, which talks about both the structure of the bridge and its famed supernatural history.
I have gone to Emily’s Bridge many times over the past four years and have been able to reach out to Emily specifically. It is completely understandable to be skeptical of an interview with a ghost, but I have repeatedly asked her the same questions and gotten the exact same answers from her.
These interviews were conducted in a haunting fashion befitting her and her story. A candle was lit on the bridge, to provide a way for her to communicate through the flickering of the flame. I asked her to show me what a “yes” looked like, and conversely what a “no” looked like as well. She showed a small flicker for the former, and the flame flickering wildly for the latter. I asked her questions like “Did you die on this bridge?,” “Did you die by your own hand?” and finally “Do you know who killed you?”. By finding the spot that had little to no wind, which was very hard on a covered bridge, I was able to get as little interference as possible. From there I was able to ask her questions.
During my interviews with her I pieced together her story: She was murdered by her fiancé. In my ghostly interviews with her, she has responded by adding that she was killed by her lover’s family, who disapproved of their relationship.
Whether this tale is true or not, it has garnered enough attention to be considered a beloved attraction for historians and ghost story enthusiasts alike. Those who visit leave with knowledge of the structure itself, or, on some occasions, a scary story to tell of their visit to the haunted “Emily’s Bridge.”
So on your next trip to Emily’s Bridge, make sure to pay your respects to the most famous ghost who inhabits it. If you don’t, that trip could end up being your last …