41 Murder Road, Topsham

The days are getting shorter and the leaves are turning into a kaleidoscope of brilliant reds and oranges. My dusty Bean boots have been taken out from their summer storage bins deep in my closet and I ordered my first hot apple cider at Dunkin Donuts (en route to the Fryeburg Fair, no less)...it’s true folks, fall is here. With the advent of Fall come a few other familiar sights. Pumpkins start appearing on stoops, dotting the streets of the West End with additional flashes of color. Fluorescent orange bags of miniature candy appear on the shelves at Hannaford’s. Pop-up costume stores enlist bored teenagers to stand on the sidewalks of South Portland in full-on pirate garb. I realize as my calendar flips from the less intimidating month of September to the first crisp morning in October that yet again, I am woefully unprepared for Halloween.

One street in Topsham, however, is not. As you curve around a bend on Middlesex Road heading north, you’ll spy a graveyard on your right. The next right hand turn reveals a dirt road with a sinister name….Murder Road. Trees lean over the entrance, shrouding the road in darkness. What an interestingly creepy place, I said to myself as I prepared to drive down this dirt road to my certain doom. However, nothing could have prepared me for what I found a few hundred feet in.

The dirt road was suddenly washed in light. I looked to my right and saw a wide open field with several outbuildings and a home perfectly perched on the side of a mildly sloping hill. The sound of barking dogs and bleating goats greeted me as I got out of my car. Once I had settled into the fact that I wasn’t going to meet my end I began to truly appreciate the peacefulness of this secluded home. I envisioned several gardens (fenced in to keep out the multitudes of hungry deer roaming the woods) and chicken coops. The already insulated barn would be the home of a few cows or pigs. The recently cleared land behind the house would be blanketed in perfectly white snow in winter and brilliant bursts of wildflowers in summer. This home could be perfect for anyone who wanted to try their hand at living off the land.

Get more information on our listing at 41 Murder Road in Topsham!

So why does it have such a sinister name? A call to the Topsham Town Hall gave no definitive answer to this question. They did assure of someone who had lived there long ago, such as Moider or Mulder, that had been changed over time to what it is today.

In the spirit of the season I have uncovered a few other places in America that are similarly spooky:

• Bloods Point Road

• Bloody Pond Road

• Bucket of Blood Street

• Convict Hill Road

• Devil’s Backbone Road

• Drunk Horse Lane

• Falling Health Place

• Grave’s End Neck Road

• Malfunction Junction

• Pig’s Ear Road

• Purgatory Road

• Psycho Path

• Roast Meat Hill Road

• Shades of Death Road

• Sleepy Hallow Road

Do you know of any scary street names? If so, please share!

Happy goats at our listing at 41 Murder Road, Topsham