Episode #83: Devil's Road - Legend

Updated: Nov 17, 2022

For those unfamiliar with the Chadds Ford area, it is a richly historical town right along the Delaware border. There is a place called Cossart Road, which has been nicknamed “Devil’s Road.” It’s a narrow and winding road where the trees actually lean away from it. Some people say that the devil himself, in a fit of rage, let out an ear piercing scream down the road one night and from then on the trees grew away from it.

Cossart Road - Chadds Ford, PA - Delaware County

Personal account of Deena Haiber of Weird Pennsylvania: Here is my personal experience with "Cult House" (I have been occasionally driving by the place with friends and researching its history for about 7 years now.) The window panes actually are in the shape of inverted crosses. This seems to be not necessarily intentional––it may just be how those particular panes are shaped. The trees do grow at an extreme angle away from the house. I've never seen trees grow so off-kilter before. In some places they do seem to grow away from the main light source. This phenomena stops once you get about 1/4 mile past the house. There is a guardhouse and there are red trucks. They have actually followed me before on two occasions. The first was at night, and the truck's lights were off. This is amazing, because there are no streetlights, and the trees allow in no moonlight. I couldn't understand how the driver was able to even stay on the road! I was behind it at first. The truck pulled over and waited for me to pass. It then pulled out and followed me until I was several miles from the house. I had one passenger in the car, and you can imagine the state we were in. We were scared to death, but REALLY excited!

The next time was also at night, but with a different friend. After we had driven past the guardhouse several times, we noticed that we were being followed by a red truck. We hadn't seen it even come onto the road. We never saw the driver's face. Again, we were followed until we were several miles from the house, then the truck just pulled over to the side of the road. Again, the headlights were off. I have never seen anyone entering or exiting the main house or the guardhouse. I know the trucks are housed at the guardhouse, because at least 5 are usually visible in the driveway. The "skull tree" does look frighteningly like a human skull. I have never found any newspaper accounts confirming that remains of any kind were found in the tree. I have been able to find absolutely no evidence of sacrificial rites being performed during Halloween or at other times, according to local records.

I have also, up to this point, been unsuccessful in trying to dig up deeds, or any type of records of transfers for the property.