Old Dutch Church of Sleepy Hollow

Constructed in 1699, sitting at the south corner of the Old Dutch Burying Ground, not to be confused with the larger Sleepy Hollow Cemetery just to the north, along the east side of the Old Post Road, this is the second oldest church in the state of New York. It was constructed at the direction of Frederick Philipse I, who owned land stretching from the Bronx to the Croton River and who features in the tale of William Kidd (check down by the river). Normally I would be hesitant to say the wealthy individual who funded a project “built” it, but legend has it that Frederick Philipse was a trained carpenter who designed the church and constructed the pulpit himself. The church and surrounding cemetery are at the heart of Washington Irving’s Legend of Sleepy Hollow, and fittingly are a large tourist draw on Halloween weekend. Therefore I find it baffling that given the large number of tourists combined with the local community trying to raise money to repair the church’s roof, the church itself was closed on Saturday afternoon. Most churches that pride themselves in their mission are open nearly all the time, this one however seems to not be.

Beautiful cemetery to visit in fall, that wasn't too crowded. Interesting old graves and mausoleums. The Dutch church was quaint and simple. The roof is a period piece of architecture I have not seen before. The grounds of the cemetery are beautiful to walk in.

The church is beautiful from the outside. It was closed; a sign said it was for private tours only. The cemetery is steeped in history. A map is available for others. You can't miss this place; it's steeped in history. You should come prepared to walk a lot; there's plenty to see.

Beautiful church on the outside. Wasn’t able to tour the church when there because of a private tour. Lots of history in the cemetery. Was able to find Washington Irving’s grave easily and there is a map available for others.

This is a great place to stroll. There are nice shady spots and benches to sit and ponder. Wonderful piece of history.

The church was closed to public but was so gorgeous. I loved the Cemetery and history of the people buried there. The grounds were clean and well kept. Some parking on a side street next to the church. Be prepared for a lot of walking up and down hills if you want to see more of the Cemetery.

This was our last stop after we visited the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery. It is well kept up. I was disappointed to see how "new" it looked given how old it is but I understand the need to keep it maintained considering it is an active church. We didn't get to go inside because there was a tour going on. It was a nice attraction none the less and it was cool to see the wooden shoes. This church is located on the main road so there is no street parking but there is off street parking

- cool old little church with a bit of history. - didn't get to go inside or anything due to an event going on the day I went. - had to park a few blocks away and walk here. - I like the history of the headless horseman associated with this place. - worth checking out especially if you get to go inside.