The Legend of Sleepy Hollow Blog Post

Post by Angelica P.

The Old Dutch Church

            Washington Irving gathered much of his sources for “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” from excursions to Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow while visiting his friend, James K. Paulding, during the 1790s (“History of the Village”). The church that he mentions in “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” was just as important a landmark in the story itself as much as it was in the daily lives of those who lived in the surrounding area. While Irving visited the area during his youth, the church was the only place of worship available for the community, and also served as a place to socialize. When Irving wrote about his visit to the area thirty years later in his essay “Sleepy Hollow”, he noted how the church’s relevance had faded some due to the establishment of the newer Sleepy Hollow Cemetary that was built nearby (“Sleepy Hollow”). The two today are often confused for one another since the smaller, two-acre church burial grounds are unmarked and located right next to the other cemetery (“The Old Dutch Church”).

The church’s origins go back as far as the 17^th century, when America was still held as a British colony. It was in 1664 that the British took hold of the colony of New Netherlands and renamed it New York. During this time period, a Dutchman by the name of Frederick Philipse bought large tracks of land east of the Hudson River from the local Native American tribes in 1684. He was able to accomplish this due to the influence had had with the current English governors. This land encompassed all of the area that would today be known as Sleepy Hollow, and became his property through the Pocantico Purchase. He commissioned the church to be built along with a manor and mill in 1685, and was laid to rest at the crypt in the Old Dutch Church with his second wife (“History of the Village”). Today, the Old Dutch Church is known for being the oldest church in the state of New York and continues to be held by the members of its congregation (“History of the Village”).

Sources:

“History of the Village.” Village of Sleepy Hollow. http://www.sleepyhollowny.gov/index.php?Option=com_content&view=article&id=46&Itemid=63

“The Old Dutch Church.” The Sleepy Hollow Cemetary. http://www.sleepyhollowcemetery.org/sleepy-hollow-country/the-old-dutch-church/

“Sleepy Hollow – An Essay by Washington Irving.” Introduction by Henry Steiner. http://henrysteiner.com/DIRcomm/sleepyhollow/article.htm