3 Things to Know About the History of Sleepy Hollow, New York

3 Things to Know About the History of Sleepy Hollow, New York

January 10, 2022 | share

In this post, we’ll highlight three positive things to know about Sleepy Hollow’s history.

Welcome to Sleepy Hollow, New York, a village as rich in history as it is famous from folklore. 

If you’re a fan of history and New York’s quieter side, this is the perfect village for you to call home. Here are three things to know about our village of Sleepy Hollow, New York.

“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”

Most everyone knows the folk lore of Sleepy Hollow’s spectre, the Headless Horseman. In 1820 author Washington Irving wrote “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” based on the small town and its famous Old Duge Church. 

While the area was often referred to as Sleepy Hollow, the town was called North Tarrytown until 1996 when the village officially adopted its traditional Sleepy Hollow name.

Most Safest, Haunted Places

Here’s a fun fact to share with family and friends.

Thanks to the village’s colonial era buildings like the Old Dutch Church and the Philipsburg Manor House, in addition to the village legend, Sleepy Hollow is often called one of the “most haunted places in the world.” However, it’s important to note that while we may have our folklore of ghosts and ghouls, we are also regularly called one of “the safest” small cities in the U.S.

A Cemetery for the Famous

Many of America’s most prominent people are even buried right here at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery.

Of course, Washington Irving, author of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” is buried here but so are stalwarts of business like Andrew Carnegie, Walter Chrysler, Leona Helmsley, Brooke Astor, Elizabeth Artden and William Rockefeller.