Sleepy Hollow and Tarrytown – The Hudson Valley is more than New York
Leaving our hotel in New Jersey after a great time in New York City, I was reflecting on the success that had been the weekend. We had seen Billy Joel at Madison Square Garden and walked around New York. This had not been my first time in the city and I was curious about what wonders laid outside of it. I set my sights on stopping in Sleepy Hollow, the stop in Tarrytown was only incidental as the villages are so close together they are practically conjoined.
It was a beautiful fall day and as I crossed over the Washington Bridge, I could see the magnificent sight that must have greeted Henry Hudson when he first sailed up the river, now named after him. The river, lined with tall hills, reflected a golden hue from the trees lining its shore. What was less impressive was the 17$ toll to use that bridge but I digress. From the other side of the river I cruised down the Henry Hudson Parkway, past the Grant memorial and out towards the New York countryside. The city gave way to wide vistas with panoramic views of the river. What should have been a short drive took me over an hour and a half due to the traffic and by the time we hit Tarrytown for breakfast we were famished.
Table of Contents
Tarrytown
The larger of the two towns, Tarrytown was founded as a Dutch settlement. The economy consisted of farming, fishing and trapping, hence the name Tarrytown. In the Dutch language, wheat is referred to as “tarwe”, hence the anglicized Tarrytown. In 1674 the colony was incorporated into Great Britain after the Treaty of Westminster.
The town hit the pinnacle of its fame in 1780 when John André, a major in the British Army, was captured carrying secret letters in his boot. These letters described how Benedict Arnold, a top rate American general, was to conduct treason and turn over West Point to the British forces. André was hung as a spy, but his character was in such high esteem that both American and British mourned his death as such it was concluded André, hung in the place of Arnold did not deserve his fate.
In the late 19th and the beginning of the 20th century the wealthy of New York began to move to Tarrytown. One such person was John D. Rockefeller who moved here in 1803. Angered by his large wealth and the monetary discrepancy between social classes, anarchist groups attempted to bomb his estate (see Alexander Berkman, the man behind the attacks).
Today Tarrytown is a sleepy New York bedroom community with access to commuter trains and bypassed by highways. The Hudson, magnificent as ever is no longer the commercial artery it once was.
What to do in Tarrytown?
I arrived in Tarrytown early enough to have breakfast, a godsend because as mentioned earlier I was starving. Although Tarrytown is nice enough there is not much to do apart from strolling and seeing the pretty old buildings. Most attractions are located outside of the town as such I recommend having access to a car. While in town take a peek at the old brick music hall located on main street. The Queen Anne style building is the oldest theater building of its kind in the county and has hosted the likes of Miles Davis and Louis Armstrong.
If you head back south towards New York following the river there are two grand old homes to see. The first is the Gothic Lyndhurst Mansion, home of Jay Gould a railroad baron and industrialist. The second is the much smaller Sunnyside, which belonged to the writer Washington Irving (he will be discussed later). A third grand home is known as Kykuit. It was the former residence of the Rockefeller family and can be found on a hill overlooking the town.
Lyndhurst Mansion:
Although associated with Gould, this limestone property was first occupied by a mayor of New York city, William Paulding, Jr. He was mocked by the townspeople for the mansions asymmetric design and they referred to the expensive building as his “folly”. The businessman George Merritt, then enlarged it and gave the noble structure its name. Gould used it as his country home and his daughter would eventually donate it to the Hudson Valley trust.
Sunnyside:
When I first stumbled onto the property, I had not realized the importance of the home. I had just seen Lyndhurst mansion and this humble building did not seem like much to me. As such I had not bothered to take pictures. This mistake was quickly remedied when I popped up the property on my phone.
The Dutch style dwelling is smaller than one would expect for a small manor but Irving wanted a quaint dwelling. He settled here in 1832 and after spending most of his life in others homes as a guest, he was ready for his own. He expanded the property several times and built romantic gardens. It now operates as a museum in his memory.
Kykuit:
This manor is the most grandiose of them all. Built in 1913 by John D. Rockefeller, the name is derived from the Dutch word Kijkuit meaning “lookout”. It has a great art collection, beautiful gardens and, due to its location on a hilltop, it possesses an unparalleled view of the New York city skyline. To visit this property it is important to go through the Historic Hudson Valley regional authority. A few different packages can be purchased with a discount available if you take the commuter train into Tarrytown from Central station in New York city.
Sleepy Hollow
Formally known as North Tarrytown, this small town was revealed to the world as the home of the Headless Horseman in the “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” written by a former resident of the town, Washington Irving . This is what you came to see and likely why you clicked on this blog entry!
The land was bought by Frederick Philipse, a powerful Dutch landlord that had pledged allegiance to the British Crown. On this piece of property he built the Manor of Philipsburg and named himself first lord. Furthermore, he also contributed to the building of the old Dutch church as the financier and architect and even possibly as its builder. His decedents continued to own the land until the American Revolution, when it was confiscated from his loyalist grandson.
Arrival:
We followed Broadway street into the town of Sleepy Hollow. It is a really pretty drive with the backdrop of the Hudson river and the colourful fall trees lining the road. Stop off in Patriots Park, in between the two towns before proceeding. This is the site where Major André was captured.
Washington Irving
Part of the appeal of Sleepy Hollow is due to its designation as one of the most haunted places in America. This was set in motion by the Tarrytown resident Washington Irving. A prolific short story writer, Irving was credited with becoming the first “man of letters” of the New World. His stories are rooted in the American continent and even borrow from Dutch folklore and customs. An excellent conversationalist, he is responsible for many sayings in the American vernacular including the reference to New York as “Gotham” and the saying “the almighty dollar”. His other contributions to American culture include the strengthening of copyright laws for authors, championing a new generation of American writers and the re-introduction of Christmas traditions after they were almost abandoned in the years following the revolution.
Washington’s English parents migrated to Manhattan from England. He was born in Manhattan and named after George Washington, then recently victorious in the American Revolution. His parents sent him to Tarrytown to avoid yellow fever. It is during this time that he became aware of the local ghost stories, in this way the Hudson valley became a natural setting for his stories. His “The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent.” was published in 1820 and contains his most famous stories including “Rip Van Winkle” and “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow“.
The Headless Horseman:
The best known of Irving’s characters, the well… headless, Hessian comes from “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”. The character is a German soldier fighting in the American Revolution who lost his head to a cannon ball and was buried in the Sleepy Hollow cemetery without it. As such, he rises from the grave angry and “rides forth to the scene of battle in nightly quest of his head”.
The short story details the death of a prominent school teacher Ichabod Crane at the hands of the Horseman on the Sleepy Hollow bridge. Although the bridge no longer exists, a heritage marker indicates where it used to stand.
What to do in Sleepy Hollow?
Although the town is tiny, it is worth dedicating an afternoon or even a full day to visit it. You should start your exploration at the gates of the old dutch cemetery. A short walk from the gate and you will find the grave of Washington Irving as well as the old Dutch Church dating from 1697. I would recommend visiting in the fall when the leaves colors have made it very pleasant to walk the grounds and the Halloween spirit is in the air. The Dutch church, the oldest such structure still standing in New York State, is at the front of the cemetery. Although, technically speaking, a separate entity than the cemetery, they are conjoined. The stone building’s yard contains the graves of many prominent Tarrytown residents. This includes Wolfert Acker, a character in Irving’s stories as well as the former deacon of the church, Frederick Philipse, the lord of Philipsburg Estate, Samuel Youngs the possible inspiration for Ichabod Crane and William Paulding Jr. a New York mayor as well as a former Tarrytown resident. The cemetery was renamed to Sleepy Hollow cemetery according to the wishes of Irving. It contains many old tombs and pretty mausoleums, a Gothic cemetery experience if there ever was one. Irving’s tomb is cordoned off by an old metal chain and is easy to find. Many of New York state’s prominent people are buried here. Soak up the atmosphere as you are transported back in time in a classic old-world fashion. The private Rockefeller cemetery neighbours this one.
Just south of this cemetery you can visit the Philipsburg Manor with its distinctive wooden bridge, one that is often confused as the Headless Horseman bridge. The old manorial estate comprised of 52 000 acres stretching all over Westchester County, with several manors to help manage the property’s output. As a testament to the largeness of the holdings belonging to the family, the Philipse Manor Hall still stands in the center of the manorial property with a second hall in Yonkers far to the south of Tarrytown. The large estate made the family the richest in the county, reinvesting their profits in other ventures such as the Atlantic Slave trade.
The family home in Sleepy Hollow is the best known of the manor holdings, restored by the Rockefellers in the 1950’s, today the manor house is host to a house museum. Walk across the bridge and learn about olden times in the Historic Hudson Valley.
Conclusion
Sleepy Hollow and Tarrytown, albeit interesting, contain only a small fraction of the things to do and see in the Hudson Valley. Historic towns, forts and castles line the Hudson river and are well worth exploring. Places like Cold Springs, West Point and Kingston are not only great weekend getaways but also offer a wide range of activities for all ages.
As for Sleepy Hollow, this place has a certain creepy magic that is absolutely irresistible. Come see why this small slice of New York constantly ranks as the best place to visit for Halloween!
