Dear Reader, I suggest every day, and especially when visiting haunted sites, put on the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:11)
I think we can all agree that New England has some beautiful structures and fantastic scenery. The leaves in autumn are breathtaking. The covered bridges evoke thoughts of times past. Times that maybe were just a bit more innocent and relaxed.
There’s another side to the beautiful scenery and historic structures in New England. Sometimes, the older designs lend themselves to hauntings. Take the Gold Brook Covered Bridge in Vermont, for example.
Located in Stowe, Vermont, Gold Brook Covered Bridge sits on Covered Bridge Road (appropriate, right?). The locals call it “Emily’s Bridge.” The 49-foot structure was built in 1844 by John W. Smith to connect Covered Bridge Road over Gold Brook.
Gold Brook Bridge became known as “Emily’s Bridge” because of local tales of a young girl who had died due to a broken heart. There is no historical proof that Emily ever existed. Still, there are several tales.
In terms of hauntings, the encounters here are relatively recent. The first known story comes from a high school student around 1968, who purportedly encountered Emily’s spirit while using a Ouija board on the bridge. There are at least two versions of Emily’s story.
In one tale, Emily and her lover were supposed to elope. When the groom didn’t show, her grief and disappointment were so deep she tied a rope to the bridge’s rafters and hung herself.
Another tale has Emily arriving at church to marry her beloved. The groom was a no show. The jilted bride was so distraught that she leaped into the family wagon and drove off. Blinded by grief, she took the team of horses to an incredible speed. When trying to navigate the turn before the bridge, the horses, wagon, and Emily crashed over the bank and into the rocky brook with no survivors.
No matter the story, there are disturbing reports of paranormal activity here. People who parked under the bridge claim to have heard banging noises on the sides of their cars, sounds of something being dragged across their car roofs, and report deep scratches on the sides of their vehicles. Others report being scratched or touched. Still others say they saw a female apparition in white. Strange noises such as footsteps, banging, ropes tightening, and a woman screaming are heard.
Interestingly, photos taken have displayed unexplained floating balls of light. Some paranormal investigators claim these types of orbs are spirits. Most paranormal activity seems to occur between the hours of 9:30 pm and 3:30 am.
So, are you up for a midnight/early morning jaunt across a rumored-to-be-haunted bridge in Vermont? Let me know in the comments. I’d love to hear from you.
Sources: Long Island Paranormal Investigators www.liparanormalinvestigators.com; onlyinyourstate.com