Magical Hudson Valley

“The dominant spirit, however, that haunts this enchanted region, and seems to be commander-in-chief of all the powers of the air, is the apparition of a figure on horseback, without a head.” The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

In 1809 A History of New York from the Beginning of the World to the End of the Dutch Dynasty was published by Washington Irving and purportedly penned by Diedrich Knickerbocker, a New Yorker of Dutch descent, to remind people of the state’s Dutch heritage. He related tales of idyllic villages and peaceful people and achieved his goal when the people embraced the character of Knickerbocker as a stereotypical NY personality. 

In 1820 Washington Irving took on the task of recounting a mystical tale based on local lore and Dutch society of the era. The story takes place in Sleepy Hollow, an incorporated village about 32-miles from Manhattan, adjacent to Tarrytown. It was published in Irving’s collection The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent., and said to have been found among Knickerbocker’s papers.

This part of the Hudson Valley is documented as having been first inhabited by the Native American Weckquaesgeek and Sintsinct tribes. Legend has it that you may feel drowsy if you take a path along the river because a Native American shaman had placed a spell on the area to thwart enemy attacks. This may be the origin of the name. There are numerous supernatural sightings, the Flying Dutchman, Van Dam the lost partygoer, a maiden searching for her husband and baby and the Headless Horseman. New York’s Haunted History Trail includes many of these sites as well as haunted accommodations and restaurants. 

Hudson Valley inhabitants, from the native population on, felt there was something mystical about the land. Early Dutch settlers were superstitous and did not frequent places believed to be haunted. They also shared tales and it is the shiver-inducing tale of the decapitated horseman that was often recounted.

Irving’s story revolves around a Connecticut schoolteacher who attends a local landowner’s a party, courts his daughter and makes his way home on a lonely road. The story takes place circa 1790. Ichabod Crane’s trail is well marked, easy to follow and includes all the significant sites from the legend.

Crane’s one-room schoolhouse is an 1850 building in Kinderhook in use until the 1940s. It has been awarded a 'Legends & Lore' marker by the New York Folklore Society. Tours are seasonal.

Katrina Van Tassel’s home, scene of the party, was torn down in the 1800s and was replaced by the local high school.

The Headless Horseman was a Hessian mercenary hired by the British during the American Revolution. He was beheaded in a battle about 8-miles from Sleepy Hollow and rises each night to search for his head. Crane first encounters the headless spirit, while riding home in  what is now Patriot’s Park. The park was also the scene of the capture of revolutionary spy John André. He was hung and the event is remembered by the Captor’s Monument. The brook where Crane met the apparition still runs through the park. At this location Ichabod quickens his pace and misses the turn that will take him home.

The Old Dutch Church and 3-acre Burial Ground date from 1685. The Dutch Colonial Revival church was where Crane was choirmaster and the place where the horseman spends his days. Many famous individuals are buried here including Washington Irving, Elizabeth Arden and Andrew Carnegie. Maps of the burial plots are available on-site. 

The Headless Horseman sculpture is on Route 9 near the bridge where Ichabod sought safety. He disappeared and only his horse, Gunpowder, and his hat were recovered. hudsonrivervalley.com 

Washington Irving’s 1835 home, Sunnyside, is in Tarrytown. The house was designed in a mixture of architectural styles by the author and built around an existing 17^th-century, 2-room, Dutch farmhouse. The house exhibits many original furnishings including his desk and books. The property has magnificent Hudson River views and is believed to be haunted by Irving himself.

Hudson Valley’s Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze sets fire to the night at the Van Cortland Manor. The event is internationally recognized for its more than 4,000 awe-inspiring hand-carved pumpkins, 7,000 illuminated jack o’ lanterns, synchronized music and lights and thematic displays. Fodor’s named it the best family attraction in the country and is presented on select dates September – November. hudsonvalley.org

In 1626 the Dutch West India Company brought 11 African male slaves, documented as “proud and treacherous,” into New Amsterdam. As the Dutch divided up the land into patents slaves were needed as workers and by 1664 their numbers had risen to 800. By 1710 New York was the site of the 2 largest slave sale sites in the nation. One of the patents, Philipsburg Mill mentioned by Irving in his book, was part of a farm with an enslaved staff of 23.

Frederick Philipse migrated to the Hudson Valley in 1653 and quickly became the owner of 50,000-acres. In the late 1600s Frederick built a lucrative grist mill on the Pocantico River. The Philipses became one of the largest slaveholding families in the north. They engaged in the slave trade and established a trading post on the coast of Africa. 

Philipsburg Manor is now a Tarrytown museum that features the daily life of the enslaved on a farm through the researched lives of the slaves who actually lived there and interprets a holistic history of the slaves and landowners during that era. Tours are immersive, interactive and led by knowledgeable docents in period attire. Visitors move to 4 different areas for presentations. The gift shop is filled with collectibles and souvenirs.

                  Tarrytown is believed to be so named because of the habit of local men to “tarry” in the tavern there. The tavern is gone but there are still many reasons to tarry there. Take advantage of the fall foliage and the menu of other options. This is the perfect time to spend time in Hudson Valley. #ILoveNY