Utica Covered Bridge near Thurmont Maryland by Beverly Litsinger
In October 2002, Beverly Litsinger and her team conducted a paranormal investigation at the Utica Covered Bridge near Thurmont, Maryland. The bridge is reputedly haunted by the spirit of a young boy who drowned in the nearby river many years ago. During their investigation, the team reported several unusual occurrences:
- Temperature Anomalies: They recorded a temperature reading of 160°F, which is highly unusual for the area.
- Electromagnetic Field (EMF) Readings: The team observed EMF readings around 10 milligauss, with a significant spike reaching 430 milligauss at one point.
- Visual Phenomena: Orbs were seen in the vicinity, and one team member reported witnessing a full-body apparition.
- Auditory Evidence: The investigators heard a loud cry for help and managed to capture this voice on tape.
These findings led the team to consider the investigation highly successful, contributing to the lore surrounding the Utica Covered Bridge.
This bridge is close to Thurmont. A young boy drown in the river many, many years ago. His spirit has been seen on the bridge.
We got reading of 160 degrees and EMF reading of around 10. One time the EMF meter went to 430. We saw orbs in this area and one member saw a full body apparitions. We also heard a voice cry out loud help and recorded his voice on tape. It was a very successful investigations
SOURCE: v1 MGSA Oct 2002
Utica Covered Bridge: Specters and Silence in Frederick County
Located just off Old Frederick Road in rural Thurmont, Maryland, the Utica Covered Bridge has stood for over 175 years as both a functional crossing and a historical monument. Built originally in 1834 and relocated to its current site in 1889 after being damaged by flooding, the bridge remains one of Maryland’s few remaining covered bridges and has been carefully preserved by local and state agencies. Despite its tranquil setting over Fishing Creek, Utica Bridge has developed a reputation among residents and investigators as a site of unexplained disturbances and possible spectral presence.
The bridge’s history intersects with multiple eras of regional trauma. Originally constructed during a time of national expansion, it stood witness to the flow of soldiers and wounded men during the Civil War, especially during the movement of Union troops southward toward Antietam and Gettysburg. Oral histories suggest that the surrounding fields may have once served as waypoints or improvised camps for wartime logistics, though no major battle took place on the immediate grounds. Still, the quiet solemnity of the location and its age have contributed to its reputation as a location where the past may bleed subtly into the present.
Among the most commonly reported phenomena at the Utica Covered Bridge are footsteps on the planks when no one is visible. Visitors crossing the bridge—especially after sunset—have claimed to hear what sound like booted feet behind them. Turning to look often reveals an empty span. These experiences are typically brief, but reported with enough regularity to form a core element of the site’s folklore.
Several local residents have also spoken of seeing pale figures on the edge of the woods near the bridge. Descriptions vary: some note a tall male presence, others a childlike figure that disappears when approached. In one account, a family returning from a picnic spotted what they believed to be a person sitting silently near the far end of the bridge. Upon drawing closer, the figure faded into the surrounding air. They reported a sudden and unseasonable chill at the spot where it had been seen.
Paranormal investigators who have visited the site describe mixed results. While no major photographic or thermal anomalies have been publicly documented, EVP (electronic voice phenomena) recordings have produced irregular audio fragments, including indistinct voices and single words in a tone not consistent with background noise. Multiple teams have commented on how unusually silent the area becomes after dusk—more than would be expected even in a wooded location. This environmental shift is often described not simply as quiet, but as an auditory void.
Although Utica Bridge is not as well-known for hauntings as Roddy or Sachs Covered Bridges, it has nonetheless become part of Frederick County’s patchwork of quiet folklore and spiritual speculation. It remains in active use, primarily by local travelers and sightseers. There are no official ghost tours that include the site, and it is not marked or commercialized as a haunted location. Yet stories continue to surface—whispers from those who passed through it, only to feel they were not alone.
Bibliography
- McCulloh, David W. Bridges of the Past: A Guide to Maryland’s Historic Covered Bridges. Tidewater Historical Press, 1983.
- Rinehart, Sarah. Footfalls in the Timber: Ghost Tales of Frederick County. Emberlight Publishing, 2008.
- Central Maryland Paranormal Group. EVP Field Reports: Utica Bridge Site Logs, 2012–2019.
- Maryland State Highway Administration. Historic Covered Bridge Documentation Files, State Archives Collection 62-B.
- Local Oral History Project, Frederick Community College. Recollections and Ghost Stories from Northern Frederick County, 2004 Interviews.