The Stonelick Covered Bridge, located in Milford, Ohio, was built in 1878. Also known as the Perintown Covered Bridge, it is the county’s only remaining covered bridge, and is still in use today (though temporarily shut down due to damage). The bridge, which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, is 140 foot long and spans Stonelick Creek. It is also the home an urban legend. It is said that you can summon the apparition of a hanging man while on the bridge. To do this, you stop on the bridge, near it’s only window, and shut off your engine. Then, flash your headlights 3 times. According to the legend, at this point you will see the apparition of a man hanging by his neck in the trees by looking out the window. Your car will then not start again until the apparition disappears.
Who is the man? Did he hang himself there? Why is he supposed to appear with the flashing of the lights? I did find out about a few accidents on the bridge, one involving a car running into the wall, another where a truck fell through the bottom of the bridge, but I haven’t confirmed any deaths There. Aside from being a staple of many urban legends, I haven’t found anything that explains the flashing of the lights either. It’s possible at one point people would flash their lights when crossing the bridge to warn oncoming traffic that there was a vehicle coming at them ( It’s basically a one lane bridge). But still, why the hanging man?
The bridge is part of a larger urban legend concerning the area, which is called ‘Peaceful Valley’. There’s said to be a haunted farmhouse nearby, where the number of windows lit up is always equal to the number of people in your car. Theres also a story circulating that cult members will chase you out of the area if you are caught there after dark. Some going as far as to reach into your vehicle, trying to either grab the keys, or pull the drivers out. So if you go, keep the windows up, and be smart, don’t cut your engine while on the bridge. It’s only wide enough for one car, and you don’t want to be sitting there unable to move when someone else comes driving along, cult member or not.
Creepy Cincinnati 
[…] old bridge today. After searching a bit on the web for information on this bridge, I stumbled onto this. It seems that this old bridge is haunted. That might explain why there are surveillance cameras at […]
[…] old bridge today. After searching a bit on the web for information on this bridge, I stumbled onto this. It seems that this old bridge is haunted. That might explain why there are surveillance cameras at […]
This is another that we used to frequent on the weekends riding in the back of my friends pick up truck. lol The story we heard was a child had been abducted years and years before and found murdered and her mother hung herself from that bridge. Turn the car off, flash your lights and see her hanging behind the car. Also the satanists. Pretty much uneventful as well except for one night in particular we really were chased out of there by a car load of screaming teenagers….probably out doing the same thing we were lol
Sadly, this bridge collapsed today during construction to renovate it.
A friend has told me stories about this bridge and has been terrified of the place ever since. She’s said that on the bridge itself, there’s not too much going on, aside from some spooks. Under the bridge and on the banks alongside it, she said there’s been some things that, according to her, were running deep into being demonic. She said there’s rumors of the bridge being a landmark used by people that had delved into darker things over the years and that could be the reason why it has such a negative feel to it, especially underneath. When it collapsed, she was the headlines as they were posted by local news sources and I have never seen someone go that pale. I have not been to the bridge myself, and am a bit wary of going. I don’t know what I believe as far as demons and possession stuff goes, but I do know that I’m not ignorant enough to want to find out and use myself as test bait for something I can’t really fathom.
Regardless of all the creepy details surrounding it, it is a very pretty old bridge.
[…] I was out by the Stonelick Covered Bridge today, or at least where it used to be. The bridge collapsed on February 11, 2014, while being repaired. So anyway, here’s what the site looks like right now. I guess they plan on rebuilding it in some form or another, but I don’t know if this means the end of the haunting that’s supposed to be associated with it. You can read more on that HERE, […]
I’m not sure if you posted it on this site or not, but there’s another legend like the hanging man on a covered bridge in Oxford by the university. The bridge isn’t usable anymore, but you can walk across it. Apparently if you shine your lights on the bottom of the bridge you can see a man hanging from it over the creek.
[…] to take a drive out there about midnight and see what we could see. We went and checked out The Stonelick Covered Bridge, which is there also, and then pulled into the lot of St. […]
We used to go out here in high school. It’s one of those things I still can’t explain to this day. I have several stories about this place that I witnessed with my own eyes. I heard a different story about the bridge though. The story I heard was that on a full moon if you look out that window you’ll see the reflection of the guy that hung himself in the water. We went on a full moon a few times but we never saw anything. There was a time when the bridge was closed we walked across to the church at the end of the road. After waking around looking at the grave stones for a bit we were getting ready to leave when I looked over and saw a guy with a shot gun sitting on the porch of the church just watching us. We ran and I don’t think we went back after.
My Aunt’s house is the house that overlooks this bridge, she and others fought hard to keep the bridge from being torn down. I have walked and played on it several times as I was growing up and took my own sons across it back on Thanksgiving 2013, a few months before it collapsed. It was a beautiful bridge and it will never be the same!
thanks for support of the bridge came down tonight with my wife. used to come as a kid@15 had a nice time still very beautiful place. she and i felt like a kid and was really scared. people should respect the area and others. great places.
I live next to the covered bridge I pray there walk there day and night with my big white dog. Nothing but God around Peaceful Valley! Nature beauty sounds are all around. It’s home to me and a wonderful place to be<
[…] I wonder if the new bridge will be haunted the same as the old […]
is this place safe for African American people?
I love this bridge,I grew up a mile from it,used to walk there ,my boyfriend and i,he carved our enituicles in it,we have been married 55 yrs
I love this bridge,I grew up there,my boyfriend and I used to walk there and he carved LC and J S in the bridge,we have been married 55 yrs now