Part Two: Historic Hudson Valley - How You Can Tour "Living History"

A visit to Sunnyside in Tarrytown, home of Washington Irving, is a return to another time. With Washington Irving came respect for American literature as well as an enchanted and enduring awareness of a "small market town" (Tarrytown) and a "sequestered glen" (Sleepy Hollow) along the Hudson River inhabited by descendants of early Dutch settlers. He brought consciousness of fantasy, ghosts, goblins and the supernatural to American literature.

When the Sunnyside estate was opened to the public in October, 1947 through a grant from the Rockefeller family, two hundred and fifty invited guests were addressed by Washington Irving III, great-great grandson of the author. He warned that the house was haunted and not just by Washington Irving. If you tour Sunnyside and fail to see any ghosts, you can purchase a book in the gift shop that describes them.

Besides Sunnyside, Historic Hudson Valley provides guided tour programs at five additional historical sites: Philipsburg Manor (Sleepy Hollow), Van Cortlandt Manor (Croton-on-Hudson), Kykuit (Pocantico Hills), Montgomery Place (Annandale-on-Hudson) and Union Church of Pocantico Hills (can also be seen self-guided).

The grounds of these sites include many furnished manor houses, farmhouses, coach houses, barns, trails, mills, gardens and agricultural fields. Together they provide a remarkable remembrance of the people that settled the Hudson Valley. Here is some background information to help you prepare for touring the sites.

Sunnyside

This was the home of Washington Irving (1783-1859), writer of two unforgettable short stories: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Rip Van Winkle, and author of The Life of George Washington and A History of New York written under the pseudonym Diedrich Knickerbocker. Although Washington Irving did not marry, his five nieces (daughters of elder brother Ebenezer) lived with him and he died in his bedroom from a heart attack. Much of Irving's furniture and belongings have survived and are on display.

Ghosts reported to have been sighted include Ebenezer's daughters, Irving's fiancee Matilda Hoffmanm who died at the age of 17 from consumption, and a young lady who wandered through the orchard and died from eating too many green apples. There have been several reports of appearances by Irving's ghost, the most notable one being by workmen during a restoration. Tourists have taken photographs that appear to show him at his bedroom window. The cottage was the home of six generations of Irving's. 

Of special interest: Washington Irving's bedroom where he died with his bible and a framed photograph of his fiancee at his bedside. Tour length: 45 minutes. Tour cost: Adults, $12; Seniors, $10, Children, $6.

Philipsburg Manor

This property, a northern plantation, was created by merchant and slave-holder Frederick Philipse (1626-1702) and passed along to family members. Construction of the manor house began around 1680; the size of the house was doubled around 1720. In 1685, Frederick  Philipse began to bring slaves to America from Angola on a vessel he owned. The family holdings were confiscated following the conclusion of the American Revolution.

Situated on a pond and accessible by crossing a large wooden bridge, the grounds included a water-powered grist mill and a farm center where the slaves and tenant farmers of diverse European backgrounds toiled. The house furnishings reflect that many rooms were used for conducting business rather than living. Philipsburg Manor is considered to be one of the largest and best documented examples of the early practice of slavery in the north. 

Of special interest: Copies of advertisements offering rewards for the return of runaway slaves. Storage cabinets have reproduced documents that can be examined by visitors and sea chests have replicas of various eighteenth-century items that visitors can pick up and handle. Tour cost: Adults, $12; Seniors, $10, Children, $6.

Van Cortlandt Manor 

This manor was built on property granted in 1697 to Stephanus van Cortlandt (1643-1700) by English King William III. Stephanus served as mayor of New York City from 1677 to 1678 and 1686 to 1688. The manor was built after his death. The Van Cortlandt family prospered from the work of tenant farmers and slave labor on the estate. The manor's collection of documents, tools, clothing and household furnishings is valuable to understanding the way of life during the early settlement days. Tour length: 45 minutes. Tour cost: Adults, $12; Seniors, $10, Children, $6.

Montgomery Place 

This estate, located in Annandale-on-Hudson (near Kingston) was once owned by members of the prominent and wealthy Livingston family. It has 22 buildings, magnificent oak and black locust trees, wetlands, winding trails, herb and rose gardens, crops and and orchards. The mansion was completed in 1805 on property purchased by Janet Livingston Montgomery (1743-1827), whose husband Brigadier General Richard Montgomery was killed in 1775 at the Battle of Quebec two years after their marriage. She died in 1828 bequeathing the estate to her brother Edward Livingston (1764-1836), who served as mayor of New York City and secretary of state under president Jackson. House tours are available from February through December.

A seasonal farm stand is available for the purchase of freshly picked vegetables, apple cider and fruit including apples, pears, berries, grapes and peaches. The mansion was designed by famed architect Alexander Jackson Davis who also designed Lyndhurst in Tarrytown and houses in Skaneateles (the New York State village where Washington Irving's Rip van Winkle lived). Tour length: 45 minutes. Tour cost: $10 per person.

Kykuit 

Guided tours are offered at Kykuit (stands for "lookout" in Dutch), a six-story stone house built by John D. Rockefeller (1839-1937), founder of the Standard Oil Company, and completed in 1913. The tours range from 90 minutes to three hours. The three-hour tour includes access to Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller's art and sculpture collection featuring the work of Moore, Calder, Picasso, Warhol and admission to the estate's enormous coach barn, filled with classic cars, horse-drawn carriages and saddles. Visitors should not drive directly to Kykuit. Transportation is provided from the visitor's center at Philipsburg Manor. 

Of special interest: A portrait of Abraham Lincoln hangs in the library drawn from life and not from a photo by Joseph Alexander Ames shortly before Lincoln's assassination, teahouse with Roman reproductions, and Temple of Venus. Tour length: 90 minutes to 3 hours. Tour cost: Adults, $23 to $40; Seniors, $21 to $40; Children: $21 to $40.

Union Church of Pocantico Hills

The main attractions at the Union Church of Pocantico Hills are a stained glass window of Henri Matisse (the Rose Window which was completed just before Matisse died) and Marc Chagall's eight windows. Tour length: Self-guided or guided: 30 minutes. Tour cost: $5 per person.

Tours are available at Washington Irving's Sunnyside, and the Philipsburg Manor from April through most of December except on Tuesdays. Van Cortlandt Manor tours began later in the spring but also run until late December. It is a good idea to check ahead for hours and exceptions. Museum/gift shops are available at Philipsburg Manor, Washington Irving's Sunnyside and Van Cortlandt Manor.

Locations of Historic Hudson Valley sites

Washington Irving's Sunnyside. Route 9 at West Sunnyside Lane. Tarrytown.

Kykuit Visitor Center. At Philipsburg Manor. Sleepy Hollow.

Philipsburg Manor. 381 North Broadway (Route 9). Sleepy Hollow.

Montgomery Place. River Road. Annandale-on-Hudson.

Van Cortlandt Manor, 525  S. Riverside Avenue. Croton-on-Hudson.

Union Church of Pocantico Hills, 555 Bedford Road. Pocantico Hills.

Website: www.hudsonvalley.org