I first read Washington Irving’s stories “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” and “Rip Van Winkle” in the eighth grade, and ever since have loved Irving’s description of the “sequestered glen of Sleepy Hollow, whose dreamy influence seems to hang over the land.”
I’d heard that Sleepy Hollow and all of New York’s historic Hudson Valley has much to offer, especially during the holidays, and since I’d never been there, I decided to visit one weekend during a snowy December.
Washington Irving’s Sunnyside
Washington Irving, a prolific author of fiction, history, and biography, also held diplomatic posts in Great Britain and Spain. He bought Tarrytown’s Sunnyside in 1835, then enlarged and renovated this beautiful cottage that overlooks the Hudson River.
Nicknamed “The Snuggery”, Sunnyside felt warm and inviting. Its cheerful English-style holiday decorations consisted of decorative green garlands on the mantle but no Christmas tree — sadly, Irving never got over the death of his sweetheart, Matilde, and mourned her until he died in 1859 at the age of 76.
His burial place, The Old Dutch Cemetery of the “Legend of Sleepy Hollow” fame, thrilled his readers as a favorite haunt of troubled spirits, and the hangout of the Headless Horseman, thought to be a Hessian trooper whose head had been carried away by a cannon-ball during the Revolutionary War
Fortunately, no mysterious specters marred my day, but I asked about the name “Tarrytown”. Our guide told us that in his story, Irving wrote that the name had been given to the small market town of Greensburg by the good housewives from the “propensity for their husbands to linger about the village tavern on market days.”
While Irving doesn’t vouch for that fact, I think it’s a pleasant tale.
A Fairytale Christmas at Lyndhurst
The country villa Lyndhurst, a Gothic Revival mansion in New York’s Hudson River Valley, is set amid 67 acres overlooking the Hudson River in Tarrytown, New York.
Designed in 1838 by Alexander Jackson Davis, the beautiful park-like estate is especially enchanting to visit during the holidays when a thick blanket of snow covers the grounds.
When I visited, the mansion was transformed into a lavishly decorated Fairytale theme, with live music and hot mulled cider for visitors to enjoy.
Described as one of the “Ten Best Historic Holiday Tours” by USA Today, Lyndhurst goes all-out during the holiday season, filling the mansion with elaborate tableaus of décor, which change every year.
During my visit, there was a gorgeous Beauty and the Beast dining room, a drawing room turned into Cinderella’s tale, a Princess and the Pea bedroom, a library decorated in the Alice in Wonderland theme, and much more.
Twelfth Night Tavern Games at Van Cortlandt Manor
From Lyndhurst, I drove to my final destination, Van Cortlandt Manor. Darkness approached as I arrived and joined the tour.
Cheryl Bernstein, our guide, explained that the property has been the primary residence of the Van Cortlandt family for two hundred years; it showcased their possessions, symbolized their status, and served as the center of their social and economic world.
During the revolutionary war, Pierre Van Cortlandt, a staunch patriot, moved his family north for a time, along with much of their furniture.
As Cheryl took us down a spiral staircase to see the milk room, which was once used as a fridge, I avoided dark shadows and tried not to think about headless Hessian troopers. Climbing back upstairs, I felt sorry for the slaves who had to ascend the dark stairs lugging heavy pots.
In the property's restored Ferry House, once the location of a tavern, Christmas merriment included Twelfth Night.
On Twelfth Night, the guest who found a bean in his slice of cake became “King of Twelfth Night” and head of the festivities. Guests chose cards, then had to act as the person described on the card and follow the instructions.
I took one from Cheryl and read it: “Jenny Jigabout, dance a step.” Far better than the one chosen by a tour mate: “Sergeant Humdrum, bore them to tears!”
I preferred the dance step, and needing dinner and a good night’s sleep, I waltzed over to the historic Thayer Hotel at West Point, which welcomed me with a roaring fire and the scent of hot apple cider.
Unfortunately, it’s not possible to see all of the Hudson Valley mansions in such a short time; I saved the Franklin D. Roosevelt Home, Vanderbilt estate, and the Rockefeller’s Kykuit estate for another trip.
The mansions I did see enchanted me, but Washington Irving’s Sunnyside did more — it brought back fond memories of books I loved as a child. What more could one ask for during the holidays?
Disclosure: I visited Sunnyside, Van Cortlandt Manor, and Lyndhurst while on a press tour of the Hudson River Valley and received complimentary entrance tickets and a complimentary night at the Thayer Hotel. However, all opinions are my own.
