Every place has its history. This place- an old Wheeling, West Virginia bridge just as haunted as it is historic- has a particularly dark history that sets it apart from your average American landmarks.
Construction of the Main Street Bridge began in 1891 and concluded in 1892.
Ohio County Public Library It is to this day the longest single-span stone bridge in the United States, spanning a total of 232 feet in length. The groundbreaking bridge carries a dark backstory, though, and with it comes a fair share of spooks and the spectacular.
Near the end of bridge construction in January of 1892, the superintendent of the project, Mr. Dominick Corey, was involved in what was described by witnesses as a “terrible accident”.
Ohio County Public Library A tramway, which was nearing completion in its construction, collapsed very suddenly with Corey, a car, and several enormous stones collapsing with it. Corey was hit in the back by at least one several-ton stone and crashed into the surging icy water below; the car and the boulders fell behind him, and he was likely buried in the debris. He never resurfaced, and his body was never recovered.
Rattled by the horrific incident, the crew nevertheless finished construction on Main Street Bridge and moved on to the next project.
Ohio County Public Library It is said, however, that Mr. Corey never moved on. For the past 128 years, person after person has reported incredibly strange happenings at the bridge. Notable phenomenon includes disembodied voices echoing through the trees without visitors attached to them, and unidentified lights floating near the water and the entrance of the bridge.
Most spectacularly, it is claimed that a full-body apparition of Corey can sometimes be seen walking the length of the bridge, appearing to be checking the structural integrity.
Ryan Stanton/Flickr A harshly-aged plaque sits at the opening of the tunnel, bearing the start and finish dates as well as the names of the crew involved in the construction process. Mr. Corey, and his spirit, are forever memorialized here and in local lore.
Explorers and ghost hunters enjoy coming here from all over the state to see if they can experience Mr. Corey’s worried spirit.
Joanne C Sullivan/Flickr Photographers have documented the bridge in its varied stages of aging through the years, from every possible angle- and yet, Mr. Corey’s spirit seems to have eluded the cameras for now.
Nevertheless, the bridge remains a local legend whose story has been examined time and time again.
Ryan Stanton/Flickr We have verified through local newspapers published at the time that Dominick Corey did indeed exist, and he did die in an accident at the bridge. We can’t say for sure, though, if it’s truly haunted or not.
Are you someone who has explored the Main Street Bridge? What was it like? Tell us about it in the comments below!
Ohio County Public Library
It is to this day the longest single-span stone bridge in the United States, spanning a total of 232 feet in length. The groundbreaking bridge carries a dark backstory, though, and with it comes a fair share of spooks and the spectacular.
A tramway, which was nearing completion in its construction, collapsed very suddenly with Corey, a car, and several enormous stones collapsing with it. Corey was hit in the back by at least one several-ton stone and crashed into the surging icy water below; the car and the boulders fell behind him, and he was likely buried in the debris. He never resurfaced, and his body was never recovered.
It is said, however, that Mr. Corey never moved on. For the past 128 years, person after person has reported incredibly strange happenings at the bridge. Notable phenomenon includes disembodied voices echoing through the trees without visitors attached to them, and unidentified lights floating near the water and the entrance of the bridge.
Ryan Stanton/Flickr
A harshly-aged plaque sits at the opening of the tunnel, bearing the start and finish dates as well as the names of the crew involved in the construction process. Mr. Corey, and his spirit, are forever memorialized here and in local lore.
Joanne C Sullivan/Flickr
Photographers have documented the bridge in its varied stages of aging through the years, from every possible angle- and yet, Mr. Corey’s spirit seems to have eluded the cameras for now.
We have verified through local newspapers published at the time that Dominick Corey did indeed exist, and he did die in an accident at the bridge. We can’t say for sure, though, if it’s truly haunted or not.
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Address: Main St Terrace, Wheeling, WV 26003, USA
