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Sleepy Hollow NY, 10591

The legends of Sleepy Hollow span the centuries from Native American times to the present.
The names of the famous and the infamous, both historic and legendary, have all left their mark
on this quiet Hudson River village 25 miles north of Manhattan. Defying the passage of time,
this magical area has managed to preserve much of the history and natural beauty which have
always drawn people to it. In addition to its great history and fabulous legends, the village offers a wide variety of outdoor adventures and activities, with parks, forests, rivers, lakes, streams and trails along one of the most scenic stretches of the Hudson River. From trout fishing to horseback riding, to biking, boating, hiking, or just escaping into the woodlands of Sleepy Hollow.

In the early nineteenth century, neighboring Tarrytown emerged as a burgeoning retail and
commercial center. It boasted a bank, a hotel, and shops while the Sleepy Hollow area remained
exclusively agrarian. However, by the 1840’s the industrial age had touched Sleepy Hollow. The
first Croton Aqueduct swept along the hillsides, the railroad put its imprint on the riverside, and
a portion of the village (the present day business district) was laid out with streets and village
lots. Soon industrial mills cropped up along the Pocantico River. During this period, immigrant
workers began to settle in the area, introducing new styles and traditions. Irish, Italian and
German followed employment opportunities to “Beekman Town.”

The industrial age had brought economic opportunity to the village, but it had also brought a
fading awareness of the village’s unique historic and cultural legacy. Fortunately, the Old Dutch
Church of Sleepy Hollow has continued to stand through three centuries—the oldest church in
New York State and still owned by its congregation. In the 1940s, John D. Rockefeller, Jr. initiated an effort to preserve and restore the site of the old manor house and mill on the Pocantico, today’s Philipsburg Restoration. The Rockefeller family has also donated many acres in the northern part of the village to a large, public state park preserve. The Rockefeller mansion too is now open to the public.

In the 1980s it was proposed that the village rename itself Sleepy Hollow in an effort to reconnect it with its famous past. In 1996 the village voted for the renaming, the same year that the GM plant closed its doors.

As the village enters the twenty-first century, it is taking stock of its many resources and assets, among them, its riverfront location, its famous heritage, its tradition of hard work and community diversity, and its historic ability to adapt to changing times.

The Village of Sleepy Hollow is governed by the Mayor and a six member board of Trustees. Each trustee is elected to serve a two year term. The Village Administrator oversees the day-to-day Village operations.

Sleepy Hollow Schools are in the Tarrytown Board of Education Dept.

Sleepy Hollow Middle School & Sleepy Hollow High School
210 N. Broadway
Sleepy Hollow, NY 10591

*compiled from the Sleepy Hollow gov. website

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