Historic Hudson Valley
Encyclopedia
Tarrytown, New York
Tarrytown is a village in the town of Greenburgh in Westchester County, New York, United States. It is located on the eastern bank of the Hudson River, about north of midtown Manhattan in New York City, and is served by a stop on the Metro-North Hudson Line...
, in Westchester County
Westchester County, New York
Westchester County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. Westchester covers an area of and has a population of 949,113 according to the 2010 Census, residing in 45 municipalities...
. Its mission is "to celebrate the region’s history, architecture, landscape, and material culture, advancing its importance and thereby assuring its preservation." http://www.hudsonvalley.org/about/index.htm
Historic Hudson Valley is Westchester County’s largest cultural and arts organization measured by size of audience, number of employees, operating budget, and endowment.
Sites
The organization owns or is connected to six historic sites open to the public, five of which are located in Westchester County and one in Dutchess CountyDutchess County, New York
Dutchess County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York, in the state's Mid-Hudson Region of the Hudson Valley. The 2010 census lists the population as 297,488...
:
- Washington IrvingWashington IrvingWashington Irving was an American author, essayist, biographer and historian of the early 19th century. He was best known for his short stories "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and "Rip Van Winkle", both of which appear in his book The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. His historical works...
’s SunnysideSunnyside (Tarrytown, New York)Sunnyside is a historic house on 10 acres of grounds alongside the Hudson River in Tarrytown, New York. It was formerly the home of noted early American author Washington Irving, best known for his short stories "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and "Rip Van Winkle", and is a National Historic...
in TarrytownTarrytown, New YorkTarrytown is a village in the town of Greenburgh in Westchester County, New York, United States. It is located on the eastern bank of the Hudson River, about north of midtown Manhattan in New York City, and is served by a stop on the Metro-North Hudson Line...
; - Philipsburg Manor House in Sleepy HollowSleepy Hollow, New YorkSleepy Hollow is a village in the town of Mount Pleasant in Westchester County, New York, United States. It is located on the eastern bank of the Hudson River, about north of midtown Manhattan in New York City, and is served by the Philipse Manor stop on the Metro-North Hudson Line.Originally...
; - Van Cortlandt ManorVan Cortlandt ManorVan Cortlandt Manor is a house and property located by the confluence of the Croton and Hudson Rivers located in the village of Croton-On-Hudson in Westchester County, New York. The stone and brick manor house is now a National Historic Landmark. It is on South Riverside Avenue.Originally, it...
in Croton-on-HudsonCroton-on-Hudson, New YorkCroton-on-Hudson is a village in Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 8,070 at the 2010 census. It is located in the town of Cortlandt, in New York City's northern suburbs...
; - Union Church of Pocantico HillsUnion Church of Pocantico HillsUnion Church of Pocantico Hills is a historic church located at 555-559 Bedford Road in Pocantico Hills, New York. The church was built by John D. Rockefeller, Jr. in 1921, as part of his plans to develop the town of Pocantico Hills, which was below his estate Kykuit...
; - KykuitKykuitKykuit , also known as John D. Rockefeller Estate, is a 40-room National Trust house in Westchester County, New York, built by the oil businessman, philanthropist and founder of the prominent Rockefeller family, John D. Rockefeller, and his son, John D...
, the Rockefeller estate, also in Pocantico HillsPocantico Hills, New YorkPocantico Hills is a hamlet in the town of Mount Pleasant, New York, northeast of the village of Sleepy Hollow and southwest of the village of Pleasantville. The area was originally settled by native Americans of the Wecquaesgeek tribes; "Pocantico" means "running between two hills," and the name...
(owned by the National Trust for Historic PreservationNational Trust for Historic PreservationThe National Trust for Historic Preservation is an American member-supported organization that was founded in 1949 by congressional charter to support preservation of historic buildings and neighborhoods through a range of programs and activities, including the publication of Preservation...
); - Montgomery PlaceMontgomery PlaceMontgomery Place, near Barrytown, New York, United States, is an early 19th-century estate that has been designated a National Historic Landmark. It is also a contributing property to the Hudson River Historic District, also a National Historic Landmark....
Historic Estate in Annandale-on-HudsonAnnandale-on-Hudson, New YorkAnnandale-on-Hudson is a hamlet in Dutchess County, New York, USA, in the Hudson Valley in the town of Red Hook, across the Hudson River from Kingston....
in northern Dutchess County.
History of Historic Hudson Valley
Historic Hudson Valley was formally founded in 1951 as Sleepy Hollow Restorations by John D. Rockefeller, Jr.John D. Rockefeller, Jr.
John Davison Rockefeller, Jr. was a major philanthropist and a pivotal member of the prominent Rockefeller family. He was the sole son among the five children of businessman and Standard Oil industrialist John D. Rockefeller and the father of the five famous Rockefeller brothers...
That year, the state of New York chartered SHR as a non-profit educational institution; HHV continues to operate under this same charter.
John D. Rockefeller, Jr. was deeply interested in preserving places of historic importance and provided the funding for the establishment of Colonial Williamsburg
Colonial Williamsburg
Colonial Williamsburg is the private foundation representing the historic district of the city of Williamsburg, Virginia, USA. The district includes buildings dating from 1699 to 1780 which made colonial Virginia's capital. The capital straddled the boundary of the original shires of Virginia —...
, among other projects. Close to his Hudson Valley country house were Sunnyside
Sunnyside (Tarrytown, New York)
Sunnyside is a historic house on 10 acres of grounds alongside the Hudson River in Tarrytown, New York. It was formerly the home of noted early American author Washington Irving, best known for his short stories "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and "Rip Van Winkle", and is a National Historic...
, the home of the celebrated writer Washington Irving
Washington Irving
Washington Irving was an American author, essayist, biographer and historian of the early 19th century. He was best known for his short stories "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and "Rip Van Winkle", both of which appear in his book The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. His historical works...
, Philipsburg Manor
Philipsburg Manor
Philipsburg Manor is a historic house, water mill, and trading site located on US 9 in the village of Sleepy Hollow, New York. It is now operated as a non-profit museum by Historic Hudson Valley; an admission fee is charged...
, and Van Cortlandt Manor
Van Cortlandt Manor
Van Cortlandt Manor is a house and property located by the confluence of the Croton and Hudson Rivers located in the village of Croton-On-Hudson in Westchester County, New York. The stone and brick manor house is now a National Historic Landmark. It is on South Riverside Avenue.Originally, it...
. He saw in all three the potential to educate the public about the history and culture of the Hudson River Valley and wished to assure their preservation and public access.
Rockefeller purchased Sunnyside
Sunnyside (Tarrytown, New York)
Sunnyside is a historic house on 10 acres of grounds alongside the Hudson River in Tarrytown, New York. It was formerly the home of noted early American author Washington Irving, best known for his short stories "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and "Rip Van Winkle", and is a National Historic...
in 1945 from the collateral descendants of Washington Irving
Washington Irving
Washington Irving was an American author, essayist, biographer and historian of the early 19th century. He was best known for his short stories "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and "Rip Van Winkle", both of which appear in his book The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. His historical works...
and underwrote its restoration. In 1950, Rockefeller arranged for the transfer of title to Philipsburg Manor
Philipsburg Manor
Philipsburg Manor is a historic house, water mill, and trading site located on US 9 in the village of Sleepy Hollow, New York. It is now operated as a non-profit museum by Historic Hudson Valley; an admission fee is charged...
, which had been operated by the Historic Society of the Tarrytowns, to SHR, and in 1953, he acquired Van Cortlandt Manor
Van Cortlandt Manor
Van Cortlandt Manor is a house and property located by the confluence of the Croton and Hudson Rivers located in the village of Croton-On-Hudson in Westchester County, New York. The stone and brick manor house is now a National Historic Landmark. It is on South Riverside Avenue.Originally, it...
and brought a team of historians and architects from Williamsburg to restore and refurnish it.
In 1984 the Rockefeller family arranged for Sleepy Hollow Restorations to acquire title to the Union Church of Pocantico Hills
Union Church of Pocantico Hills
Union Church of Pocantico Hills is a historic church located at 555-559 Bedford Road in Pocantico Hills, New York. The church was built by John D. Rockefeller, Jr. in 1921, as part of his plans to develop the town of Pocantico Hills, which was below his estate Kykuit...
. (The church contains stained glass windows by Henri Matisse
Henri Matisse
Henri Matisse was a French artist, known for his use of colour and his fluid and original draughtsmanship. He was a draughtsman, printmaker, and sculptor, but is known primarily as a painter...
and Marc Chagall
Marc Chagall
Marc Chagall Art critic Robert Hughes referred to Chagall as "the quintessential Jewish artist of the twentieth century."According to art historian Michael J...
, given to it by members of the Rockefeller family.) In 1986, SHR acquired Montgomery Place in Dutchess County.
The purchase of Montgomery Place in 1986 was part of a strategy to expand the organization’s influence beyond Westchester County. This change in strategy was accompanied by a name change the following year to Historic Hudson Valley.
Kykuit
Kykuit
Kykuit , also known as John D. Rockefeller Estate, is a 40-room National Trust house in Westchester County, New York, built by the oil businessman, philanthropist and founder of the prominent Rockefeller family, John D. Rockefeller, and his son, John D...
, the Rockefeller estate in Pocantico Hills, had been left to the National Trust for Historic Preservation
National Trust for Historic Preservation
The National Trust for Historic Preservation is an American member-supported organization that was founded in 1949 by congressional charter to support preservation of historic buildings and neighborhoods through a range of programs and activities, including the publication of Preservation...
in the will of Gov. Nelson A. Rockefeller, who died in 1979. The property was leased from the National Trust by the Rockefeller Brothers Fund
Rockefeller Brothers Fund
The Rockefeller Brothers Fund , , is an international philanthropic organisation created and run by members of the Rockefeller family. It was set up in New York City in 1940 as the primary philanthropic vehicle of the five famous Rockefeller brothers: John D...
. In 1991, the RBF entered into a partnership with Historic Hudson Valley to operate a program of public tours, which started in 1994.
In 1992, Sleepy Hollow Restoration's IRS status changed from a private foundation to a public, not-for-profit organization.
Governing board
The organization is governed by a volunteer board of trustees and funds its operation through visitor admission and membership fees, annual fundraising, and an annual draw from its largely unrestricted endowment. Waddell W. Stillman is the president.Educational mission
Historic Hudson Valley focuses its work on three key areas:Guided Tours
Tours at Van Cortlandt Manor
Van Cortlandt Manor
Van Cortlandt Manor is a house and property located by the confluence of the Croton and Hudson Rivers located in the village of Croton-On-Hudson in Westchester County, New York. The stone and brick manor house is now a National Historic Landmark. It is on South Riverside Avenue.Originally, it...
, Philipsburg Manor
Philipsburg Manor
Philipsburg Manor is a historic house, water mill, and trading site located on US 9 in the village of Sleepy Hollow, New York. It is now operated as a non-profit museum by Historic Hudson Valley; an admission fee is charged...
, and Sunnyside
Sunnyside
- Australia :*Sunnyside , house of Ellen G. White, co-founder of the Seventh-day Adventist Church- Canada :* Sunnyside, a suburban area of South Surrey, in turn a town centre of Surrey, British Columbia...
use the third-person “living history” approach by interpreters in historic clothing supplemented by hands-on demonstrations of period work and leisure activities. The Union Church and Kykuit
Kykuit
Kykuit , also known as John D. Rockefeller Estate, is a 40-room National Trust house in Westchester County, New York, built by the oil businessman, philanthropist and founder of the prominent Rockefeller family, John D. Rockefeller, and his son, John D...
use a more traditional lecture/discussion approach. Montgomery Place is largely self-guided. At Van Cortlandt Manor
Van Cortlandt Manor
Van Cortlandt Manor is a house and property located by the confluence of the Croton and Hudson Rivers located in the village of Croton-On-Hudson in Westchester County, New York. The stone and brick manor house is now a National Historic Landmark. It is on South Riverside Avenue.Originally, it...
, the themed-tours concentrate on interpreting lifestyles and history of the New Nation Period that immediately followed the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
. Philipsburg Manor
Philipsburg Manor
Philipsburg Manor is a historic house, water mill, and trading site located on US 9 in the village of Sleepy Hollow, New York. It is now operated as a non-profit museum by Historic Hudson Valley; an admission fee is charged...
concentrates on telling the story of slavery
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
in the colonial north. Sunnyside
Sunnyside
- Australia :*Sunnyside , house of Ellen G. White, co-founder of the Seventh-day Adventist Church- Canada :* Sunnyside, a suburban area of South Surrey, in turn a town centre of Surrey, British Columbia...
focuses on Washington Irving
Washington Irving
Washington Irving was an American author, essayist, biographer and historian of the early 19th century. He was best known for his short stories "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and "Rip Van Winkle", both of which appear in his book The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. His historical works...
and the Romantic Movement in 19th-century literature, landscape, and architecture.
Special Events
Special events focus on issues and ideas that are season-specific or that require a fuller programmatic rendering than is possible on the standard tour. Pinkster
Pinkster
Pinkster is a spring festival, taking place in late May or early June. The name is a variation of the Dutch word Pinksteren, meaning "Pentecost". Pinkster in English almost always refers to the festivals held by African Americans in the Northeastern United States, particularly in the early 19th...
, for example, is a re-creation of the 18th-century African-Colonial festival of Pentecost
Pentecost
Pentecost is a prominent feast in the calendar of Ancient Israel celebrating the giving of the Law on Sinai, and also later in the Christian liturgical year commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples of Christ after the Resurrection of Jesus...
through which visitors can explore African music, dance, foodways, and storytelling. The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze and Legend Weekend explore traditions linked to The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" is a short story by Washington Irving contained in his collection The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent., written while he was living in Birmingham, England, and first published in 1820...
and contemporary ways of observing the traditions of Halloween
Halloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
.
School Programs
HHV offers a varied menu of school workshops developed with teachers and based on state curriculum requirements.