North of Lyndhurst [1], you’ll come to Sleepy Hollow and the Old Dutch Church (540 N. Broadway/Rte. 9, at Pierson St., 914/631-1123, www.olddutchburyingground.org [2], cemetery gates close at 4:30 p.m. daily). Dating back to 1685, it’s believed to be the oldest church in continuous use in New York State, but except for its thick walls, little of the structure is original.
Surrounding the church is a romantic Dutch cemetery that early settlers believed was haunted by a headless Hessian ghost. That local tale later became the inspiration for Washington Irving’s The Legend of Sleepy Hollow; Irving took many of his characters’ names from the cemetery’s tombstones.
Adjacent to the old Dutch cemetery is the newer Sleepy Hollow Cemetery (430 N. Broadway, 914/631-0081, http://sleepyhollowcemetery.org [3], 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Mon.–Fri., 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Sat.–Sun.), a scenic and peaceful place where Washington Irving, Andrew Carnegie, William Rockefeller, and other early movers and shakers are buried.
Links:
[1] http://www.moon.com/destinations/new-york-state/the-hudson-valley/lower-hudson-valley/tarrytown-and-sleepy-hollow/lyndhurst
[2] http://www.olddutchburyingground.org
[3] http://sleepyhollowcemetery.org