Helen's Bridge

Constructed in 1909 to provide access to the nearby Zealandia Mansion, this stone bridge has become one of Asheville's most infamous haunted locations. The single-arch bridge spans a ravine on Beaucatcher Mountain.

Helen's Bridge is a vine-covered stone arch spanning Beaucatcher Road on Asheville's Beaucatcher Mountain, built in 1909 to provide carriage access to Zealandia, the mountaintop castle constructed in 1884 by John Evans Brown after he spent thirty years amassing a fortune in New Zealand. The bridge was designed by architect Richard Sharp Smith, who had previously worked on the Biltmore Estate and was known for his command of Gothic and Tudor architectural styles. In 1904, the Australian-born diplomat Sir Philip S. Henry acquired Zealandia and doubled the castle in size with a granite addition, filling it with ancient relics from his travels. The estate was one of three grand mountain castles built during Asheville's Gilded Age, alongside Biltmore and Seely Castle.

According to the legend that gave the bridge its name, a woman named Helen lived near Zealandia with her young daughter. When the child perished in a devastating fire, Helen was consumed by grief and hanged herself from the stone arch. Alternative versions of the tale describe Helen as a servant at the castle who leapt from the bridge after losing her daughter. Historical records do not confirm Helen's identity or the fire -- according to a U.S. Department of the Interior report on the mansion, no one is documented as having died in a fire at Zealandia. However, the legend has persisted for generations, woven into the fabric of Asheville's folklore. Author Thomas Wolfe, who grew up nearby, walked beneath Helen's Bridge many times and included the structure in his 1929 novel Look Homeward, Angel, depicting his protagonist shouting beneath its arch -- a scene that mirrors the ghost-calling ritual practiced to this day.

The most well-known tradition involves parking beneath the bridge and calling out "Helen, come forth!" three times. Those who attempt the summoning report a range of unsettling phenomena. Drivers claim their cars mysteriously stall beneath the bridge, batteries drain without explanation, and electronics malfunction, only for vehicles to restart once they have rolled clear of its shadow. Visitors describe seeing the apparition of a woman in white pacing the bridge, wringing her hands, or asking passersby, "Have you seen my daughter?" Disembodied screams, whispers carried by the wind, sudden cold spots, and an overwhelming sense of despair are frequently reported, with activity said to intensify on moonlit nights.

By the late 1990s, the bridge itself was nearly lost. In 1998, the city closed the road beneath it over concerns about falling stones, and officials considered demolishing the structure entirely. Public outcry from residents and historic preservation advocates saved Helen's Bridge, and it was repaired and reopened in 1999. The Zealandia Holding Company acquired the castle property in 2004 and continues preservation work, though the ruins -- including archways and spiral staircases -- are no longer open to public visits. Helen's Bridge, however, remains freely accessible, drawing ghost hunters, thrill seekers, and the simply curious to Beaucatcher Mountain after dark to test whether calling out to Helen will bring the grieving mother forth once more.