Episode 2: The Gold Brook Covered Bridge

Feb 6

A photo of Emily’s Bridge, taken by Scott McCracken on Flickr.

Nestled between two prominent ski resorts, the sleepy town of Stowe, Vermont is home to a haunted bridge and a chilling ghost story. So the legend goes, the bridge is haunted by the vengeful spirit of a jilted bride, who goes simply by the name, “Emily.” Today, the Gold Brook Covered Bridge, or Emily’s Bridge to paranormal enthusiasts, is one of the most infamous functioning covered bridges in New England. Though its story may be based in fiction.

Episode Transcript

Imagine for a moment that you’re driving down an empty stretch of road through the Vermont countryside. It’s late fall and the night air is brisk outside your car window. You soon come to a stop in front of a single lane covered bridge. It’s old, by the looks of it, but well maintained. Your car’s navigation system is urging you to proceed to the route, which takes you directly across the bridge to the road on the other side.

As far as the eye can tell, the bridge appears to open and usable. However, you still feel compelled to take a closer look at its structural integrity before driving across. After all, the last thing you need or want is to plummet to the frigid waters below. So you put your car in park and approach the bridge by foot. As you take your first step out onto the bridge, you notice that it is unseasonably warm, sweltering even. But in spite of this, you are distinctly aware of the prickly sensation of goosebumps rising on your skin.

Hesitantly, you take a few steps further and before long you are at the center of the bridge. There’s creaking coming from the rafters above.. and something else. Crying? Now sufficiently spooked, you half run half walk back to your car. It’s probably nothing, but something about the eerie sound is enough to send you racing back to a more populated area.

So you throw the car into drive and edge onto the bridge. Although the whining continues, you press on, making it across the bridge without incident. But before driving off, you can’t help sneaking one last look at the bridge in your rear view mirror. And what you see is startling to say the least. There, only a few feet away, is a ghostly pale woman walking towards your car.

Shocked, you whipped your head around to get a better view out the rear window—only to find that the woman had seemingly disappeared. Deciding that enough is enough, you floor it, leaving the bridge and the menacing specter in the dust behind you.

Now I know what you’re thinking, the tale almost seems too chilling to be true. But for many who brave the trek out to Stowe, Vermont’s gold brook covered bridge, the story is all too familiar. Because the Gold Brook Covered Bridge, better known as Emily’s Bridge to paranormal enthusiasts, is said to be haunted by the vengeful spirit of a woman scorned by the one she loved.

I’m Courtney Hayes and you’re listening to haunts. Stay tuned….

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When you think of New England, it’s hard not to imagine picturesque landscapes, crunchy autumn leaves, and quaint sleepy towns with rich histories. In fact, New England is widely considered the most historic region in the United States. And though it may not seem like it at surface level, it is also one of the most haunted.

With stories like the Salem witch trials, the Borden family murders, and the lost colony of Roanoke, it’s not surprising that ghostly tales lurk around almost every corner, even in the most unlikely places. And the country roads on the outskirts of Stowe Vermont are no exception to this rule, as they are home to one of the oldest, and perhaps most notorious, functioning covered bridges in the state.

Built in 1844, the gold brook covered bridge served to connect Gold Brook Road and Stowe Hollow Road. At first glance, the bridge seemed to be a simple structure—spanning less than 50 feet long and 17 feet wide. At the time that is was constructed, the bridge was made almost entirely of wood; and though the roadway has since been paved for modern use, it’s hard not to imagine the creaking sound emanating from the bridge every time a horse drawn buggy road across the single lane byway.

In short the gold brook covered bridge is a classic staple of early New England—acting as a sort of time capsule that dates back nearly 200 years; one concealing a dark piece of Stowe history.

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You see, in the 1920s, a young woman named Emily fell in love. She, the daughter of a local farmer, lived with her parents near the gold brook covered bridge. Emily’s rural upbringing was far from affluent. Her parents weren’t wealthy and sadly this affected their social standings with other members of the Stowe community.

So it was to their surprise when Emily fell in love with a local boy from a well to do family in town. By all accounts, Emily and her paramour were madly in love—so much so that, before long, the couple began to seriously consider tying the knot. Much to his parents dismay.

Now like I said, Emily’s beau was raised under somewhat finer circumstances. His parents worked hard to ensure that he had a comfortable upbringing and they took pride in the company that they kept. In their opinion, this pride should also extend to the social circles of their children, especially when it came to their courtships.

So they forbade their son from marrying Emily, or from even seeing her for that matter. From there perspective, Emily—with her modest upbringing—did not sit high enough of Stowe’s social ladder for their son to be fraternizing with. So the topic of marriage was not open for discussion.

But this did not keep the couple from seeing each other, nor did it stop them from discussing their future together. And as every story of forbidden love goes, Emily and her lover devised a plan to escape the social constraints of Stowe Vermont and be together forever more.

Their plan was simple. At an allotted time and date, they would meet on the Gold Brook Covered Bridge. It would be there that the couple would elope and escape Stowe under the cover of night.

It was a plan that Emily would follow precisely. On her would be wedding night, she snuck out of her parents home and made her way to the gold brook covered bridge where she awaited her groom. Only he never showed. Be maybe his parents had discovered their secret betrothal and talked him out of it. Or perhaps he grew hesitant to leave the comfortable life he had always known. But in the end he never followed through with their plan, leaving Emily devastated, spiteful, and perhaps most of all incredibly embarrassed.

Emily had fought hard for the love they shared, she had even been willing to leave her family and everything she had ever known for it. So how could she bare to face them now? And furthermore, how could she stand to see her now ex fiancé around Stowe as if nothing ever happened?

Emily had a few options, the way she saw it. She could return to her parents house and face the humiliation head on. Or she could follow through with the plan to run away from Stowe, leaving her ex-lover and the pain he caused in the past.

And then there was the third option. One involving little indignity on her part, that would simultaneously send a very public and shameful message to her once beloved and his family.

Soon, Emily had made her decision, and before she could change her mind, she climbed up to the bridge’s rafters. There, adorned with a necklace made of rope, she took one final breath before jumping into the unknown.

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Today, Emily’s tragic story at the Gold Brook Covered Bridge is well woven into the fabric of Stowe Vermont. In fact, Emily’s Bridge is included in countless pieces of literature recounting the ghostly tales of New England. Which no doubt has fueled the fire for claims of paranormal activity at Emily’s bridge.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, it is said that Emily is a vengeful and unhappy spirit. As it would seem, even death could not save her from loves keen sting. So instead of finding peace, Emily is doomed to spend eternity lurking in the shadows cast by the Gold Brook Covered Bridge. And, if the rumors are true, she has the distinct habit of making her presence known.

Throughout the innumerable reports of paranormal activity and encounters with Emily at the covered bridge, there are handful of recurring themes that are worth noting.

Some claims seem fairly harmless. For instance, several sources site drastic changes in temperature—where visitors of Emily’s bridge report encountering warm spots on otherwise cold evenings. Spectral orbs are also commonly captured in photos of Emily’s bridge.

But other assertions made about the location seem to be far less tame. For instance, on one occasion, a group of young locals made the trek out to Emily’s bridge. Now as a side note, the bridge itself is a popular destination for high schoolers looking for a private area to cut loose. So this was likely the intention on this particular evening.

Upon their arrival, the group opted to park on the bridge, instead of on the side of the road. And it was a good thing they did too. While it was unbeknownst to them at the time, this would provide a quick getaway from what they were about to encounter.

According to their claims, they were exiting the vehicle when a misty apparition began to materialize just a few feet from the car. To their horror, the specter began to approach and the group scrambled to shut and lock the doors, which seemed to agitate the spirit to some degree.

It spent the next few moments fidgeting with the door handles in an attempt to enter the vehicle, all while they sat terrified inside. But after a few excruciatingly long minutes, the spirit seemingly gave up and vanish just a quickly as it appeared.

In addition to this encounter, there are a number of similar reports, only the claims are a bit more physical. One well-known account is that of a man who drove out to Emily’s bridge late one evening. While he sat there parked, the windshield became foggy and he watched in horror as a pair of handprints tracked across the glass.

But perhaps the most haunting and frequently sited encounters with Emily, is that of countless tourists and paranormal enthusiasts who make the drive to Emily’s bridge only to be chased out by an angry spectral being. Then, after safely returning to the more populated areas of town, find fingernail scratches along the side of their cars. Talk about adding injury to insult.

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Bearing all of these claims in mind, it’s hard not to wonder if there is any truth behind the story of Emily’s Bridge. I will level with you, like most ghost stories, the lore surrounding the gold brook covered bridge has faced its fair share of criticism, particularly amongst the locals.

Which begs the question, are these critiques made in an effort to deflect negative attention from Stowe, Vermont? A town, mind you, that relies heavily on its tourism economy. Or is the story of Emily’s bridge truly nothing more than a legend?

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One thing that I find to be especially interesting when it comes to paranormal research is that nearly every town across the United States, and maybe even around the world, has its own stories of local haunts.

Take, for instance, the moderately sized city of Augusta, Georgia, where I spent the majority of my adolescence. Now as many of you probably already know, Augusta is home to the world renowned masters golf tournament—making the city somewhat of a one horse town, albeit a large one. But for those of us who know where to look, Augusta is also home to a few hauntings. Though most locals are more partial to the golf than they are the ghosts.

Likewise, the residents of Gold Brook and Stowe Hallow Roads, who have spent many a sleepless night listening to the sounds of tourists, paranormal investigators, and even some neighbors looking for a ghostly encounter, may feel a similar distaste to their own local haunt. And really, who could blame them?

After all, Stowe is first and foremost, a quaint ski village. One that is nestled in between two of Vermonts most prominent resorts. And while most residents are in agreement that Emily’s story along the haunting of the gold brook covered bridge holds a certain New English charm, they would also agree that the story has attracted slightly rowdier crowd.

Now this is not to say that the locals despise all who visit the bridge. Quite the opposite actually. In fact, professional investigators and amateur ghost hunters alike are often described my Stowe residents as respectful and relatively quiet.

However, groups of late night party goers and the occasional street racer or two makes the Gold Brook Covered Bridge seem a lot less charming. And from the outside looking in, it’s hard not to sympathize with the residents living on either side of Stowe hallow and gold brook road. Especially considering that the story of Emily’s bridge is just that, a story.

Enter Joseph Citro, a Vermont native and folklorist, with a keen eye for ghost stories, especially the ones originating in his home state. It was he who, after decades of listening to the story circulate through the once quiet community, finally brought the true story of Emily’s Bridge to light.

According to Citro’s research, the haunting tale can be credited to Stowe local, Nancy Wolfe Stead circa 1970, approximately 50 years after Emily and her paramour were said to have met. It was the golden age of horror and Nancy, as it would appear, was an avid horror fan. Pulling inspiration from cult classics such as the excorcist and rosemary’s baby, Nancy fabricated the tale to amuse her peers while swimming in the waters near the bridge one afternoon.

Now Nancy does openly admit that the tale is purely based in fiction, with a sole intention to entertain or perhaps even scare her friends as they splashed through the currents of the gold brook that day. But all the same, rumors of the ghost of the gold brook covered bridge traveled fast through the small town. And before long, the story was accepted as the gospel truth, even though there is no historical records to evidence these claims. In fact, we aren’t even sure if anyone by the name of Emily was living in Stowe at the time.

It wasn’t until years later that Nancy finally took credit for the story, telling Citro that she even remembered making up the name Emily herself. But by then the claims of paranormal activity on Emily’s bridge were far too prevalent to ignore.

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As a paranormal researcher, I strive to approach each claim of paranormal phenomena with a healthy dose of skepticism. Healthy being the keyword here. It is true that blind faith in the paranormal is a detriment to an already disesteemed field of research. However, skepticism for the sake of skepticism is equally detrimental.

Take the Gold Brook Covered Bridge, for example. After listening to today’s episode and the accounts of Joseph Citro, I think we can all agree. The bridge is more than likely not haunted by the vengeful spirit of a jilted bride. I mean, how could it be if the bride herself never existed?

But this is not to say the haunting isn’t true. After all, there are countless reports of nearly identical encounters with something that resides on this byway between Gold Brook and Stowe Hallow. Which makes this more a matter of “what” than “if.”

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There is a theory in parapsychology that alleges a rather peculiar relationship between the human mind and instances of paranormal activity. I know, it sounds like a bunch of hocus pocus, but stick with me for a moment.

In 1972, the Toronto Society for Psychical Research put the theory to the test. During the experiment, which was led by Drs. A.R. George Owen and Joel Whitton, a group of individuals met on a recurring basis to confer with the spirit of a man named Philip. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Philip had a fairly colorful backstory that lead to an untimely and tragic end.

Philip was an Englishman born in the year 1624 and after an early start to his military career, he was knighted at the young age of 16. Later in life he was unhappily married to a woman named Dorothea, only to fall in love with a vagabond named Margo a short time after. Dorothea, enraged her jealousy, had accused Margo of witchcraft. Eventually, she was burnt at the stake for these allegations, breaking Philips heart. Devastated, Philip couldn’t bare to live without his sweetheart, so not unlike Emily, he took matters into his own hands.

When looking at the stories with a close eye, it’s hard not to see the similarities between Emily and Philip. Perhaps the most notable of these similarities is the fact that they are both fictional characters. The “owen group” as they called themselves had actually crafted the character and his backstory at the start of the experiment. Then on a weekly recurring basis, they would hold a seance in an attempt to conjure the spirit of this persona they had created.

In case you were wondering, the owen group had hypothesized that paranormal entities and poltergeist like activity could be manifested through the power suggestion and expectation. And to their surprise, the experiment yielded some pretty incredible results.

Over the course of several seances, they experienced everything from simply feeling Philip’s presence to hearing rapping sounds that seemed to answer questions about his life. On one occasion, the Owen group even witnessed their seance table lifting onto a single leg. Don’t just take my word for it. The Owen group was actually confident enough in their findings that they had their final session televised, allowing them to capture the moment on film. If you would like to see for yourself, I’ll have the video linked in this episode’s show notes on the haunt’s website at www.hauntscast.com.

Now the Philip experiment, as it is known today, was the first of many trials testing this theory. However, the concept of the human mind having the power to manifest hauntings and paranormal activity, dates back much further than the 1970s. In fact, in the 1931 book With Mystics and Magicians in Tibet, spiritualist Alexandra David-Neel, recounted her own experiences of evoking a Tupla—that is phantom conjured through extreme concentration and meditation over the course of a few months.

Simply put, what I’m trying to say is, the concept has been proven time and time again. And whether we know it or not, our own minds have the power to manifest some extraordinary things.

So before ending today’s episode, I’d like for you to consider this: the spirit of a young bride who actually lived in Stowe during the early 20th century may not be haunting the gold brook covered bridge. But all the same, Emily’s spirit could still be lurking in its shadows. After all, the story of Emily’s bridge has been told countless times over the last 5 decades. And with more and more curious minds visiting Emily’s bridge each year, the fictitious tale may be more real than we had imagined.

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Credits