Irving, according to Clark, “actually designed his home and designed the landscape, as well, creating ponds, vistas, a garden.” Besides being a place of striking visual attractiveness, Sunnyside also functions as a student-friendly educational resource, with school group tours and events specifically geared toward the younger set. The beautiful Sunnyside offers tours from May through November. Photo by Jennifer Mitchel Historic Hudson Valley The Headless Horseman at Philipsburg Manor, part of the Horseman’s Hollow haunted attraction. Hedges, “meant writing for an audience bent on viewing itself as sophisticated.” “Writing in New York at the beginning of the 19th century,” according to scholar William L. Europe was the fount of culture and knowledge. The young United States of the early 19th century, flush with independence, nevertheless struggled with a deep-seated inferiority complex. He had a lasting impact on our culture.” This makes his general unfamiliarity today all the more puzzling. Sunnyside, according to Historic Hudson Valley’s Karen Clark, celebrates Washington Irving “and his impact on the region and on literature in general. Irving’s expansive estate, Sunnyside, is located in Tarrytown and is an active historical and educational site that hosts a wide range of visitors. He returned the favor by making Sleepy Hollow, the place, world-famous.” One legacy would not be the same without the other. Irving was a prolific writer, but his two most famous, iconic works are ‘The Legend of Sleepy Hollow’ and ‘Rip Van Winkle.’ Sleepy Hollow is the real place that inspired Irving’s best work, and the reception of this short masterpiece was instrumental in establishing Irving’s great fame. “Sleepy Hollow has been influenced by Irving, and Irving by Sleepy Hollow. It doesn’t take much to ascertain his regional influence.Īs a town, “the legacy of Sleepy Hollow and that of Washington Irving are closely shared,” according to Henry Steiner, official historian for the Village of Sleepy Hollow. Local drivers can avail themselves of the Rip Van Winkle Bridge. Irving is the namesake of the village of Irvington. Sleepy Hollow is a real place, of course, as is Tarrytown. Washington Irving lived and worked here in the Hudson Valley, and the region’s beauty and mystery remain forever linked to his writing output. “Sleepy Hollow” transpires near “Tarry Town” (as Irving styled it), “a retreat whither I might steal from the world and its distractions and dream quietly away…” The physical and psychological landscape of the Hudson Valley are part and parcel of Irving’s most famous fictional creations. Because of the serialization, the anniversary of the Sleepy Hollow-based short story was celebrated in 2019–2020, and with that comes an opportunity to restore Washington Irving to his rightful stature. “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” was published as part of The Sketch Book in March 1820. The year 2019 marked the bicentennial of the publication of The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent., which was serialized between 18. ) Read More: 6 Historically Haunted Westchester Locations (Hence the nickname of the storied NYC NBA franchise. If this were not influence enough, the word “knickerbocker ” - a denizen of New York City - also springs from Irving’s pen. His literary output has long been a part of the American vernacular, yet the actual source of these writings - the author himself - has basically fallen into obscurity. Largely forgotten today, Washington Irving has an odd historical legacy. Likewise is the famously tall and gaunt Ichabod Crane (“one might have mistaken him for … some scarecrow eloped from a cornfield”), scared out of his wits in “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” by the terrifying, blood-curdling sight of the Headless Horseman.Īs rooted in folklore as “Rip Van Winkle” and “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” are, they are not, in fact, popular legends and myths that sprang up during the early years of the United States - they are works of fiction penned by Washington Irving. The tale of Rip Van Winkle, the man who famously fell asleep for years and years and awoke to a changed, unfamiliar world, is about as familiar as it gets when it comes to American folklore. The Headless Horseman Pursuing Ichabod Crane (1858) by John Quidor | Google Art Project Largely forgotten today, Washington Irving has an odd historical legacy that dips deep into the families and lands of Westchester County.
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