Not So Sleepy Hollow

Washington Irving's "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" may be just a story to many people, but to those from New York's Hudson Valley, such as myself, it's more than just a ghost tale.  It's based on local facts and is part of the area's folklore.  It's also a part of the area's growing tourist industry.

Full disclosure: I was born in Sleepy Hollow, although at that time it was called North Tarrytown.  After the largest employer, the General Motors plant, closed down in the mid-1990s, the village reverted to its original name of Sleepy Hollow to capitalize on it's folklore and history.

Revisiting Sleepy Hollow recently, it was interesting to see how the village has turned into a bustling tourist destination revolving around Irving's famous tale.  There was always the Old Dutch Church, which figures into the story, and the adjacent cemetery containing the remains of the "Headless Horseman," a Hessian soldier decapitated during the American Revolution.  Nowadays, among other things, there's a master storyteller recounting Irving's "Legend," nighttime tours of the cemetery by lantern light, and the Horseman's Hollow, where actors portray "the undead, the evil, and the insane."

The village of Sleepy Hollow does a great job in keeping Irving's story alive and well.  Older and younger generations can learn and be entertained by the American literary classic, walking the paths and seeing the sights that Irving wrote about.  If you ever have the chance to visit New York City, it's worth taking the Metro North train from Grand Central Station to visit Sleepy Hollow.  Just don't lose your head while there.

Wishing you haunted readings from the perch.