Location:

Status: Maintained

The Old Dutch Church in Tarrytown, NY played a prominent role in Washington Irving’s “The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow” and also in the lives of the Van Tassel family. Believed to be the oldest church in the state of New York, it is surrounded by a cemetery in which the remains of the Van Tassel family that Irving based his legend on are buried. In this cemetery you can find the graves of known characters such as Katrina Van Tassel, Brom Bones, and even the Headless Horseman. Of course, no one knows for sure if this is the true Headless Horseman, but these local legends were based on a Hessian soldier in an unmarked grave. When I finally do locate the graves of the Van Tassels and the others, I promise the pictures will be included here. I have a map of the burial grounds that seems to be tossed from one location to the other in my room, but when it comes time for a trip to the cemetery, I can never seem to find the map.

Even though it looks like one amazingly huge cemetery, I learned that it contains separate cemeteries. Washington Irving is buried in a cemetery not far from the Old Dutch Church Burying Ground, but one would never know the difference between the two since there is no physical separation between the burial grounds that can be seen.

Other familiar names that you’ll find in the cemetery include Andrew Carnegie, Walter Chrysler, and even the Rockefellers. There are many other recognizable names in this cemetery, however, it’s difficult to find them all given the size of the place. We tried three times to get through it in a day to no avail.

The Old Dutch Church Burying Ground and the surrounding burial grounds are definitely the most beautiful and impressive in the area, and definitely my personal favorite to visit. There are many incredible monuments and statues to see and the grounds make for amazing photography. The best part is that it’s only across the Tappan Zee Bridge across the Hudson River and off the first exit. Even if you live far away and are intrigued by cemeteries, this one is worth the trip.

- Ember, 2003