There is a road in Chadds Ford, PA that is is so full of legend that it’s come to be known as the “Devil’s Road”. Cossart Road is a twisting path that local legend says houses an incestuous cult, phantom drivers, and the ghosts of murdered children.
About midway down the road, the trees on the outer edge begin to grow away from the street. While this may just be because of previous road workers cutting branches away from the power lines, legend says it’s because the trees are growing away from the “Cult House.” The Cult House is rumored to be the former estate of the famous Du Pont family. Some legends say the house is stone or white brick, and has inverted crosses hanging in the windows. It is where the Du Ponts would perform incestuous marriages in order to keep the fortune in the family. It is also where the deformed children of these unions where raised and kept hidden. No record of this exists, of course. No house has been found along Cossart Road that even remotely resembles the Cult House, and no photographic evidence of it exists. The Du Pont family did own some land in the area.
Another legend stemming from the Cult House is the phantom cars. Locals say that black trucks and SUVs will chase people down the road at night, and the cars have no drivers. No record of this exists either. It actually became a common prank for teenagers to stake out the area late at night and chase people down the road in their cars. The trees around the alleged Cult House area were also frequently vandalized with graffiti. The low-quality criminal activity became so bad that local officials removed the Cossart Road sign and put up many “No Trespassing” posts. The road is therefore very difficult to find, and any modern accounts of people being chased by big black cars are just trespassers being caught by the cops.
There used to be a tree along Cossart Road that had the shape of a skull warped into its roots, called the “Skull Tree.” Legend says this was the area where the Du Pont family buried their deformed young. The tree was taken down a few years ago after frequent graffiti and pranks in the area. There are accounts of some local trespassers taking things too far, stretching lines across the road and burning crosses.
There are many accounts of mutilated animal corpses being found along the road.
There is validation to the theory of the Skull Tree being used as a burial ground. In August of 1978, the bodies of James Johnston (18), Dwayne Lincoln (17), and Wayne Sampson (20) were found along Cossart Road. They were shot and killed by the infamous Johnston Gang. Their murders actually led to disbandment of the gang and arrest and conviction of its members. Locals say the bodies of the victims were found by the skull tree.
It is after the time of the murders that legends about Cossart Road and the Cult House began popping up, so it’s likely this horrific crime influenced the accounts. Some locals say it is the ghosts of the three boys that cause the trees to turn away from the road.
source: pennsylvaniaparanormal.tumblr.com
inquiries: goodjawn610@gmail.com
tips/contributions: cashapp : $goodjawn610
Thanks for watching. All your continued support is greatly appreciated!
