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D&D Travel's A Visit to Sleepy Hollow! Inspired by the Fox Television Series "Sleepy Hollow" Check out these images of the village in New York State where Writer Washington Irving based perhaps his most famous work - "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," written in 1819... all images © copyright 2016, Dennis A. Hubbs, D&D Travel Services, LLC |
 Sleepy Hollow is a village just north of Tarrytown, NY, along the banks of the Hudson River...Washington Irving visited the Sleepy Hollow area, most likely for the first time, in 1798. He was a resident of England when "The Legend..." was written, inspired by the area he explored with a friend that year. He was just 15 at that time... |
 The Old Dutch Church...Where Irving's character Ichabod Crane sought sanctuary from the Headless Horseman in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow...The church and its burying ground lie at the southern tip of Sleepy Hollow Cemetery and alongside the Pocantico River... |
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 The church has been in continuous use since about 1690 and is the oldest remaining church building in New York State. Indeed it is also one of the oldest churches still in use by the original congregation! |
 The original bridge was actually about 50 yards upstream from this spot, behind the Old Dutch Church... |
 The "new" bridge carries NY Route 9 across the Pocantico River here... |
 The Headless Horseman, at 420 North Broadway, is an 18-foot high sculpture by Miglo-Bufkin metal works and was erected in 2006, just south of the southern entrance to Sleepy Hollow Cemetery. |
 Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, incorporated in 1849, was actually named the Tarrytown Cemetery, much to the dismay of Irving! After his death, the graveyard was renamed in his honor. He is buried (see next two images below) in the southern section of the grounds. |
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 Philipsburg Manor, in the center of Sleepy Hollow, once was a 52,000-acre commercial enterprise in 1750! Owned by the Philipse family, it produced agricultural products via a labor force of 23 slaves that supplied both New York City and the West Indies (the Caribbean) with food.... |
 Located along the Pocantico River, not far from where it dumps into the Hudson, the plantation operated a mill complex, dairy, farm and even a bakehouse for almost 100 years. |
 This is the restored mid 18th century Manor House - the center of the family's Westchester County business operations... |
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 "Anything in there for me??" |
 The Slave's garden - where they grew vegetables and herbs to supplement the rations supplied by their owners... |
 Some of the metal tools, hinges, etc. used in everyday life at the manor... |
 A guide (left) demonstrates just how difficult it was for women to carry water, etc. in buckets using a yoke! |
 The Gristmill complex, reconstructed on its original foundation... |
 ...and the dam which created the mill pond, allowing a waterwheel to power the machinery. |
 Today, kayakers make their way up the Pocantico from the Hudson River...in the 1750s, all manner of boats would tie-up to load and unload goods at the manor. |
 One of the 2500-pound grindstones that turned grain into flour and similar products... |
 Inside the Dutch Barn, used for crop storage rather than for animals, freshly-cut peas are hung to dry... |
 ...while the process of separating seed from the wheat is demonstrated. |
 A colorful mural along N. Broadway in Sleepy Hollow...from more "modern" times! |
 This is the original entrance to Sunnyside - home of writer Washington Irving. The view is looking outward as one were leaving the grounds...The estate was designed by Irving himself and the house cannot even be seen until you follow the road through the gate and turn to the right. He wanted it hidden so as to create a surprise for his guests. |
 "Oops! Where did you guys come from?" A local resident pauses for just a moment prior to darting away after spotting us...A family of deer live in and around the estate...he was a BIG guy! |
 More of a cottage than a mansion, this riverside house on the banks of the Hudson River is where Irving called home. He purchased it in 1835. After The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, perhaps his other most well-known short story is Rip van Winkle. The original cottage is to the left...It is purposely covered with several kinds of vines, of which Wisteria is the most spectacular (over the entrance to the cottage). For the first time since guides can remember, blooms did not appear (in 2016) due to the fickle spring weather! To the right is the "Spanish Tower" addition... |
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 The front portico must have offered an even more spectacular view prior to the building of the railroad, which takes up residence down below, between the river bank and the edge of Irving's property. Needless to say he was not happy, as the railroad filled in to create land for the tracks - originally Sunnyside was on a peninsula with the river directly at the edge of the estate... Now, overhead electric wires over the tracks somewhat mar what must have been a magnificent view! |
 Croaking bullfrogs could be heard near the edge of the pond just up from the cottage...
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| This is just a brief view of what there is to see in Sleepy Hollow and adjacent Tarrytown, NY. For those who are fans of Washington Irving - and the Fox TV series - you should consider a visit to Sleepy Hollow! There are some serious happenings here on and around Halloween (warning - for the fall and around Halloween especially, accommodations book full many months in advance!) For reference, one of the best books on the subject of Irving's tale, complete with maps and photographs, is "The Historically Annotated Legend of Sleepy Hollow" by Henry John Steiner. It is a great reference when visiting the area! Thanks for looking! - Dennis and Donna all images © copyright 2016, Dennis A. Hubbs, D&D Travel Services, LLC 
 
 
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