Emily's Covered Bridge

The Stowe Hollows Bridge, or formally known as the Gold Brook Bridge, was built within the town of Stowe, Vermont in 1844 by John W. Smith. Which was designed to allow safe passage over the brook for traveling between the three villages of Stowe. Center Village, is located in the middle of town, where all the roads meet. Half a mile south lies Lower Village, once known as Mill Village. This is where the trades were located, the blacksmith shops and the mills. Two miles south of Center Village is the third village, Moscow. Moscow was the industrial area of the time and known to have the best sawmills in the state, as well as a large door, sash, and blind factory.

At the busy joining of well-kept country roads is this dark little Gold Brook Bridge, crossing Gold Brook. The impression of darkness comes from the walnut-stained gable-ends; however there is a darker side to this bridge’s history. This is Emily’s Bridge, named for the locally famous ghost who haunts this bridge. Ask anyone there in Stowe, they will all be able to tell you a story of Emily.

According to Joseph Citro, “no one has been able to prove that Emily actually lived. Or died. While most stories say that Emily died by her own hand, all agree that her tragedy occurred on the bridge around 1849.”

Many stories have been told about why poor Emily does not rest in peace. The most popular legend has it that in the middle 1800’s, Emily, a farmer’s daughter whose parents forbidding her to marry the man of her dreams, was deserted by her lover. In a fit of rage and sadness she ran away with plans to elope with her lover. That night they were to meet at the Gold Brook Bridge to begin the first night of the rest of their lives together. Emily arrived early at the bridge waiting for her soul mate, who would never arrive. As the hour of their meeting came and went, despairing and, sadly, in a family way, Emily gave up hope. At the peak of her anger, sadness and depression, she hung herself from a beam within the bridge in the dead of night.

Her ghost has been seen on moonlighted midsummer nights, wandering through the bridge waiting for her man. However, many people will warn you to be careful when crossing this bridge at night and many will refuse to cross the bridge themselves. Apparently, Emily is not just a ghost wandering in moonlighted midsummer nights, waiting for her man to come. Nor does she vanish back into nothingness after allowing a watcher a fleeting glimpse of her. No, Emily’s ghost is feared. She has been known to shake passing horse carriages, and later cars, or scratching them with invisible claws during the day or night.

I think Joseph Citro said it best:

“The best known tale is that Emily was a young Stowe woman who fell for a man who didn’t pass muster with her family. Forbidden to marry, the love-struck couple decided to elope. They planned to meet on the bridge at night. The appointed hour came and went, but the young man never showed up. Shattered, Emily hanged herself from a rafter. And now her desperate, angry ghost has haunted the bridge ever since, waiting for her lover to return.”

Love hath no fury like a woman scorned, or in this case, stood up!