Evening star., 1909-07-10
what II Is worth. and he cannot anord to
give the property away for nothing
The Sleepy Hollow Church.

The sleepy Hollow Church.
The Sleepy Hollow Church is said TO be
the most ancient in this state and the
mother of all the Dutch Reformed
churches in these parts. although the
churches at Smithfield and williamsburg.
Va. are both older and those at Santa Fe
and st. Augustine are older still. Irving
describes II as follows:
Here Is the church. small building
with rough sides of the country stone,
surrounded by picturesque roof and
with an open bell turret, over which still
veers the vane pierced with the initials OF
the Frederick Felypsen who built the
rambies about the graveyard we used to
md the bricks of light-colored clay,
brought from Holland and of which. so
tradition said. the church had originally
been built or which had. at any rate
been largely used in it's construction.
A small marble tablet embedded in the
bricks upon the front wall informs US
that the church was
Erected by Frederick Philpse
and Katrina Van Courtlandt
his wife, in 1t99.
No service has been held here for sew
formed churches in Tarrytown, both of
them offshoots from this. the first dating
back to 1897 and the second to 1884.
In the little tower still hangs the an
Gent Dell, bearing Il laIln lTSCTlpliOi
which. being translated. reads: IF God
be for US, who can prevail against US,
1885" The pulpit and communion table
were also imported from Holland. but
some wretched vandal has taken the for
mer away and replaced it by very mod
ern desk.
Epitaphs in Church Yard.
The custodian of the church is very
kind in explaining things, but rather
prosy. and Is disposed to linger over dis
puted points of history, when there are
many more interesting objects around.
The ancient cemetery is well populated;
the earliest inscription is dated ITO. and
some of the epitaphs are curious and
quaint:
Sacred to the memory of
Jacob Covcn Hovey.
1914.
Reader.
II an unblemshed reputation.
A heart famed for bcncvolence and love,
A soul
Glowing with every sentiment
Which enoble human nature.
Could command thy esteem,
Respect this stone.
Let the dust Il covers he sacred
II once was animated by
AZ pnre spirit ever dwelt
Within the breast OF man.
And here Is another dated 1907:
'.Ye friends who lately my bloom
Here now behold me in my tomb.
My children dear, once round my bed
In number seven, with me are dead.
The dropping tear is not amss.
Well We may weep DER sucn a scene as TINS
But the most extraordinary of all is the
following. which indicates that race sui
eide was not fashionable in this part OF
the universe in John Buckhouts time:
Cap. John Buckhont.
Who parted this life
April the 10th. 1875.
A-ed 103 years
And left behind him when he died
10 children and grandchildren.
Also
Mary wife Of John Buckhout.
Died August, 1155. aged i3 years
In confirmation Of this commendable
habit, we find In report made by Gov.
Dongan to the Dutch East India Com
pany in 1855 the following:
I'm this country there is a woman yet
alive from whose Loyns there are upward
Of three hundred and sixty persons no"
living. The men that are here have gen.
orally strong and lusty bodies
Legend Of Ichabod Crane.
Sleepy Hollow, as everybody knows.
was the scene Of the romance of 1chabod
Crane and Katrina Van Tassel and of
that frightful apparition. The Headless
Horseman." According to Irving's tale
Ichabod Crane, a Connecticut schoolmas-
ter. instructed tough, wrong-headed,
broad-skirted Dutch urchins'' in the rudi-
ments of learning. He was also the
singing master of the neighborhood. Not
far of lived old Baltus Van Tassel, a
well-to-do farmer. whose house was call
ed "Wolfert's Roost' Urving's place, aft
erward called Sunny yside'). He had a
blooming and only daughter named Kat
rina, and Ichabod was her tutor in
psamody. training her voice to mingle
sweetly with those of the choir, which
he led at Sabbath day worship in the
Sleepy Hollow Church.
Ichabod fell in love with Katrina He
found a rival in his suit in stalwart
bony Brom Van Brunt, commonly known
as Brom Bones. Jealousies arose. and
the Dutchman resolved to drive the Yam
kee schoolmaster from the country.
Ichabod was invited to social even
ing party at the house of Van Tassel He
went with alacrity. and borrowed a lean
horse called Gunpowder for the Jour
ney. Brom Bones was also there. When
the company broke up, Ichabod fingered
to have few words with Katrina. He
then bestrode Gunpowder and started
for home. When within half a mile of
the old church a horse and rider, huge
black and mysterious. suddenly appeared
by his side The rider was headless, and
to the horror of the pedagogue 1t was
discovered that he carried his head in his
hand, on the pommel of his saddle. The