Dark Destinations - Sleepy Hollow Cemetery & Old Dutch Burying Ground

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Sleepy Hollow Cemetery & Old Dutch Burying Ground

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mile radius.

Nearby Destinations:

	Philipsburg Manor
	Sleepy Hollow, New York
	The Horseman Restaurant & Pizza
	Washington Irving's Sunnyside
	Lyndhurst Mansion
	Ferncliff Cemetery and Mausoleum
	Sing Sing Prison Museum
	Van Cortlandt Manor
	The Edgar Allan Poe Cottage
	Columbia University
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Availability:	Open to the Public
Filed Under:	Cemeteries/Graveyards Cemeteries/Graveyards > Tours Halloween Events Literary Sites
Added By:	Tom G
Added On:	April 22, 2007 - 03:33 PM UTC
Last Modified:	December 04, 2008 - 07:20 PM UTC
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Average Rating:	5 (1 ratings)
Visited By:	3 Users

Address
540 N Broadway, Sleepy Hollow, NY 10591, USA (Tarrytown, New York)

Information
Sleepy Hollow Cemetery Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Sleepy Hollow, New York isn't actually the cemetery featured in Washington Irving's The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. That honor actually goes to The Old Dutch Burying Ground, a much older and smaller cemetery that is practically engulfed by the larger cemetery. Incorporated in 1849, Sleepy Hollow Cemetery was originally called the Tarrytown Cemetery. The name was changed some time after the death of Washington Irving. The change in name was made to honor Irving who had written a letter to the editor of The Knickerbocker in 1849, suggesting that the new cemetery should be renamed. Irving is buried in the cemetery. Sleepy Hollow Cemetery's nearly 90 acres wraps around the Old Dutch Church and Burying Ground, which has existed since the mid-17th Century. The two are separate properties that blend together and seem as one. It isn't the only cemetery to blend in with the immense Sleepy Hollow Cemetery. The burial ground on the former Rockefeller family estate likewise borders Sleepy Hollow Cemetery and blends in. The cemetery also borders along the Pocantico River. Some mistakenly claim that Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Concord, Massachusetts is the cemetery from Irving's tale, however the story is plainly set in Tarrytown, NY. The cemetery in Massachusetts did have the name Sleepy Hollow first though. The confusion over these cemeteries has also caused some to falsely claim that Nathaniel Hawthorne, Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson are buried in New York. While it may not contain the remains of Hawthorne, the cemetery does have a number of famous residents besides Washington Irving. The cemetery was also used as a filming location for the movie House of Dark Shadows, the first film to be based on the Gothic horror soap opera Dark Shadows. The Old Dutch Church & Burying Ground Frederick Philipse built the Old Dutch Church in the 17th century. Philipse, a Dutch immigrant to the American colonies had worked his way up from selling iron nails to importing and exporting goods of the time, including furs, grain and slaves. Philipsburg Manor, located across the street from the church and cemetery, is a former house Philipse owned and conducted business from. The church was apparently under construction for quite some time. It is believed to have been completed in 1865, because that is the date that is stamped on the church's bell. The bell, which still hangs in the church's steeple, also bears the engraved images of animals and gargoyles as well as a quote from the bible written in Latin. Translated, the inscription reads, "If God be for us, who can be against us?" The inscription takes on extra meaning if one of the stories dealing with the construction of the church is true. The story goes that the waters of the Pocantico River kept rising and on three occasions it washed out a dam that was vital to the operation of a mill owned by Frederick Philipse. After the third occasion, while involved with rebuilding his dam, one of Philipse's slaves approached him about a dream he'd had. In his dream, the slave had been told that the Pocantico's waters would stop causing damage to the property if his master would finish construction of the church that had long been in process. The story has it that Frederick immediately set about having the church finished and that the Pocantico never again destroyed one of Frederick Philipse's dams. The Old Dutch Burying Ground is the area of graves immediately behind the church. It is even older than the church by a few decades. The burying ground and the church sit on three acres of land and are dwarfed by the larger cemetery surrounding them. Frederick Philipse is interred in a crypt in the Old Dutch Burying Ground. The Van Tassel's and Abraham Martlings Also buried in the Old Dutch Burying Ground are people who are said to have inspired characters in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. However, these folks also have some interesting tales of their own. The Van Tassel family (also spelled Van Tassell and Van Tessel) likely served as inspiration for the Van Tassel family of Irving's story. Irving also purchased the farm that belonged to Petrus Van Tessel. It became Irving's Sunnyside estate. Petrus's niece, Eleanor Van Tassel Brush is believed to be the most likely inspiration for Katrina Van Tassel in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. It is possible that the name for the fictional Katrina actually came from Eleanor's aunt Caetrina (wife of Petrus). Washington Irving was deliberately coy about telling anyone who the characters in his story were based on. The Van Tassel clan had some run-ins with the British during the American Revolutionary War. One of the tales involves brothers Petrus Van Tessel and Cornelius Van Tassel unsuccessfully attempting to defend their farms from a mix of British and Hessian soldiers. The other story was written about by Washington Irving in his book Wolfert's Roost and Miscellanies. It deals with the abduction of Eleanor Van Tassel by British soldiers during a raid on her father's farm. Jacob Van Tassel, Eleanor's father was an officer in the American Militia. At the time of the raid, Jacob was away from home with his militia unit. A British ship traveling up the Hudson River landed alongside the farm and began pillaging the Van Tassel home. Besides stealing livestock, provisions and setting fire to the house, the sailors are said to have kidnapped Eleanor Van Tassel. Enraged with the incident, the story goes that Eleanor's mother, aunt and the family servant chased after the sailors with whatever items around the house could possibly serve as weapons. They reached the sailors carrying away Eleanor before they could get to their ship. Beating on the sailors with their makeshift weapons, the women managed to get them to drop the screaming and kicking girl. Abraham Martlings is believed by some to be the inspiration for the character of Brom Bones in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Martlings, a militia officer like Jacob, is said to have sought revenge on the British for the assault on the farms of Petrus and Cornelius. Abraham Martlings is believed to have led a group of "Liberty Boys" on a river raid of their own. They snuck past British sentries on the Hudson River and set fire to the home of British Loyalist Oliver Delancey. Hulda the Witch The Van Tassels and Abraham Martlings aren't the only ones buried in the Old Dutch Burying Ground who have a history of resisting the British. Another one would be a Bohemian immigrant named Hulda. According to accounts, Hulda was an unusual looking woman (at least to the settlers in the area) who spoke little English. Hulda lived by herself and harvested local herbs and was known to make traditional homeopathic medicines. Rumors gradually spread through the community claiming that she was a witch. It took the America Revolutionary War to change how her neighbors perceived her. When British troops advanced down Albany Post Road, a number of locals, including Hulda, brought out their rifles to fight the soldiers off. Hulda apparently was a crack shot and is said to have killed several British soldiers before she herself was killed in the battle. The townsfolk buried Hulda in the cemetery because of her sacrifice. After her death, a Christian bible was found in her home as well as a will leaving the gold she'd saved to the widows of American soldiers who died during the war. Despite these findings and her actions, Hulda wasn't given a gravestone because the townsfolk still believed her to be a witch. She was also buried at a distance from the others in the cemetery for the same reason. The Covered Bridge Besides the cemetery another local landmark that was featured in Washington Irving's The Legend of Sleepy Hollow was a covered bridge that stood near the Old Dutch Church and Burying Ground. The covered bridge used in the story no longer stands in front of the cemetery. It has been replaced with a more modern bridge that bears a plaque in honor of Washington Irving's spooky yarn. The marker on the satellite map (above) is placed right on the edge of the bridge. Washington Irving As mentioned earlier, Washington Irving is buried in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, a short distance from the Old Dutch Burying Ground he made famous in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Besides that tale he also wrote such stories as Rip Van Winkle and The Devil and Tom Walker. He is known to have been an influence on both Nathaniel Hawthorne and Edgar Allan Poe. Irving is responsible for the name of the cemetery changing. It wasn't just the influence of his famous short story. It was also a direct request from the author himself. On the occasion of the Tarrytown Cemetery being founded, Irving sent a letter to the editor of The Knickerbocker. The letter, dated April 27, 1849, reads as follows: My Dear Clark: I send you herewith a plan of a rural cemetery projected by some of the worthies of Tarrytown, on the woody hills adjacent to the Sleepy Hollow Church. I have no pecuniary interest in it, yet I hope it may succeed, as it will keep that beautiful and umbrageous neighborhood sacred from the anti-poetical and all-leveling axe. Besides, I trust that I shall one day lay my bones there. The projectors are plain matter-of-fact men, but are already, I believe, aware of the blunder which they have committed in naming it the "Tarrytown," instead of the "Sleepy Hollow" Cemetery. The latter name would have been enough of itself to secure the patronage of all desirous of sleeping quietly in their graves. I beg you to correct this oversight, should you, as I trust you will, notice this sepulchral enterprise. I hope as the spring opens you will accompany me in one of my brief visits to Sunnyside, when we will make another trip to Sleepy Hollow, and (thunder and lightning permitting) have a colloquy among the tombs. Yours, very truly, Washington Irving It didn't stop with just the cemetery changing its name. In March of 1997, North Tarrytown officially changed its name to Sleepy Hollow as well. Life imitated art and the fictional Sleepy Hollow area of Tarrytown became a reality. Other Famous Interments There are a number of famous people besides Washington Irving buried in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery. Vincent Astor, businessman, philanthropist and son of R.M.S. Titanic sinking victim Jacob Astor was originally interred in his family's estate, but was exhumed and moved to Sleepy Hollow. His wife, Brooke Astor, is buried next to him. He wasn't the only wealthy businessman to find himself relocated to Sleepy Hollow posthumously. In 2006, multi-billionaire Leona Helmsley had her late husband Harry relocated from a mausoleum in Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx to Sleepy Hollow Cemetery. Leona, infamously nicknamed the "Queen of Mean", was known for her strong feelings of entitlement. She disproved of a community mausoleum being constructed so close to the one in which her husband was laid to rest in at Woodlawn. She rushed the construction of the new tomb in 2005, causing local authorities to step in when Helmsley failed to get the proper permits for construction on her new 1.4 million dollar mausoleum. After finally going through the proper channels to create her large monument, construction resumed. Leona Helmsley passed away in 2007 and came to join her husband in his new resting place. Stipulations in her will included a yearly cleaning of the tomb with either acid or steam. She also made it mandatory for her grandchildren to have to visit the mausoleum once yearly in order to maintain their trust funds. Whether this stipulation currently still stands is unknown, as other aspects of her will were altered due to her being judged as mentally unfit at the time she created it. Vincent Astor and Harry Helmsley have the further connection of their wives passing away within a week of each other in 2007. The Helmsleys and the Astors are by no means the last of Sleepy Hollow's wealthy deceased; Andrew Carnegie, Walter Chrysler, George Washington Hill and Thomas Watson are also buried there. There are also actors from the early days of Hollywood, politicians and number of other famous people buried there. The Rockefellers The former home of the famously wealthy Rockefeller family borders Sleepy Hollow Cemetery. The family put their private burial ground alongside the cemetery, causing some to believe they are buried in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery as well. Among those interred on the Rockefeller grounds are John D. Rockefeller Jr. and his wife Abby. Their sons John, Laurance and Nelson are also interred there. William Rockefeller, brother of John D. Rockefeller Sr., is actually entombed in a mausoleum in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery itself. John D. Rockefeller Sr. himself is buried in Ohio. House of Dark Shadows On March 23, 1970 production began on the Dan Curtis film House of Dark Shadows. The movie, based on Curtis's popular horror soap opera Dark Shadows, shot that day at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery. The cemetery's receiving vault was dressed to look as the Collin family crypt. The first scenes shot dealt with the funeral of Carolyn Stoddard. A rain machine was used to make the weather seem poor during the fictional funeral. A gravedigger's strike was in effect at the time, and Sleepy Hollow Cemetery had hired non-union workers to bury the dead stored in the receiving vault. The production kept being interrupted as the gravediggers would return to the receiving vault to remove another body for burial. It is said that the interruptions finally caused Curtis to yell to the gravediggers, "Can you do that later, please? It's not like they're going anywhere!" Besides the Gothic atmosphere of the cemetery, another likely factor that caused it to be chosen as a filming location was its proximity to the Lyndhurst Estate, where the majority of the movie was shot. October During Sleepy Hollow's October festivities there is an annual reading of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow at the Old Dutch Church. The Headless Horseman has also been known to ride through the village in the month of October, beginning his ride at the cemetery. Visiting the Cemetery Guided tours are available for both the Old Dutch Burying Ground and Sleepy Hollow separately (check their respective web sites for details). Unlike most cemeteries in New York, these cemeteries in Sleepy Hollow don't remain open until sunset. They have a set closing time of 4:30 pm throughout the year. Anyone planning a visit should make sure to visit early in the day, as it is a very large place and visiting late in the day will cut a visit short or result possibly in getting their vehicle locked in for the night.

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User Trips
O.T.I.S.(Odd Things I've Seen): Sleepy Hollow Cem - From: O.T.I.S. (03/15/09, 10:28 PM UTC) Article excerpt from O.T.I.S. (Odd Things I've Seen): "Sleepy Hollow Cemetery is actually one of my favorite cemeteries for merely intrinsic reason...More Rating: 5/1 (0 Comments)

Related Sites
Sleepy Hollow Cemetery The official website for the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery.
The Old Dutch Burying Ground Website for the Friends of the Old Dutch Burying Ground. A group of historical preservationists who work to restore the graveyard (the setting of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow) and provide tours.
Find A Grave: Sleepy Hollow Cemetery A list of historical people buried in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, including The Legend of Sleepy Hollow author, Washington Irving.

Similar Destinations
Chestnut Hill Baptist Church Cemetery
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See Also on TheCabinet.com
Dark Destinations in the News (8/23/07)

Available from Amazon.com
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
Sleepy Hollow
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (Disney)
The Dark Shadows Movie Book: Producer/Director Dan Curtis' Original Shooting Scripts from House of Dark Shadows and Night of Dark Shadows
Tales of the Old Dutch Burying Ground: A Walking Tour of the Burying Ground of the Old Dutch Church of Sleepy Hollow

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Images

Statues and elaborate stone and metal work decorate the majority of this gothic graveyard.
From: Tom G

Gravestone in the Old Dutch Burying Yard.
From: Tom G

Part of the elaborate memorial to journalist/entrepreneur Heinrich Hilgard at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery
From: Tom G

One of the many statues at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery.
From: Tom G

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The above content is for informational purposes only. Before making any travel arrangements, it is highly recommended that you contact those in charge of the property to check for updated availability and hours of operation. While we do our best to keep this information updated, we cannot guarantee that it is completely valid and up to date. Any destination marked "Closed to the Public" is marked that for a reason and we discourage any visits or attempts to gain access to that facility. Similarly, take note of any "Travel Advisory" that may be associated with a destination. Finally, treat any location and its local residents with respect. Any vandalism and/or unruly behavior is completely despicable and only ruins the experience for future visitors.

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