Covered Bridges on Two Wheels
A photographic journey to Vermont's Covered Bridges
Gold Brook Bridge
 November 2011 |  November 2011 |
|---|---|
 November 2011 |  November 2011 |
Current Status: Open
Location: Stowe, on Covered Bridge Road
Crosses: Gold Brook
GPS: 44.440393N, 72.679879W
Built: 1844 Length: 48.5 feet
Truss Design: Howe
WGN*: VT-08-12 NRHP**: Yes
* WGN: World Guide to Covered Bridges Number
**NRHP: Listed on National Register of Historic Places
The Gold Brook Bridge is located on the back roads of Stowe, far away from the typical tourist areas. The brook that runs under the bridge is so-named because people have successfully panned for gold from it. Also known as the Stowe Hollow Bridge for the area it is located in, it is known more famously as "Emily's Bridge", for the spectre that purportedly haunts it.
Quite a few stories abound as to how the bridge became haunted, and many more stories about paranormal activity at the bridge have been told. I won't recount them all here. A quick Google search and you'll find quite a bit of information. Emily's Bridge even has its own Facebook page where users share their own accounts and photos of strange goings-on.
Personally, I don't believe any of it, and the photos I have seen of "Emily" or other activity at the bridge are extremely dubious. Moreover, "Emily" was said to have died in or near the bridge back in the horse and buggy days, but no mention of hauntings existed until a high school student wrote a paper in 1968 about their experience with a Ouija board at the bridge. Even if you did believe, paranormal investigators have actually been to the bridge and find no reason to think something is special about it. Be that as it may... the fame of the bridge is known to many and it even starred in a commercial for a local car dealer.
For an old bridge (getting close to 200 years), it has apparently held up well. I can find no accounts of any major work done to it. The Howe truss is unique in Vermont, being the only one in vehicular use within the borders of the state. (Two other Howe truss bridges are shared with New Hampshire). Also see the East Shoreham Railroad Bridge for another example of a Howe truss and the construction techniques for that style of truss.
The color of the bridge does nothing to dispel rumors of being haunted. Sometime in the past (maybe even when it was built?) it was stained a dark walnut color inside and out. A wire mesh was installed on the inside of the bridge to most likely discourage vandals from climbing on the trusses and kicking out the siding. The day I visited, someone had used a safety pin to attach a St. Christopher's medal to it.
Visiting the bridge:
This may be an interesting experience for you, especially if you visit at night, when the supposed hauntings occur. Despite my disbelief of the whole "Emily" thing, I found myself a little apprehensive when I first approached the bridge to cross it on my motorcycle. I mean, the bridge does look ominous in its dark color, and the reports of people hearing things bang against their cars while parked on the bridge are pretty spooky, even if not true. Keep an eye out above you, as local youths have been known to hang out in the rafters on summer nights to scare tourists looking for Emily.
For the more pragmatic of visitors, you will find an ample parking area on the north side of the bridge. Motorcyclists: Covered Bridge Road (and the parking area) is dirt, but the bridge is just off a paved road, so travel on soft roads is minimal. On the southwest side of the bridge is the remains of some kind of mill, but I don't have any further information about what it might have been.