some local history & interesting facts about Tarrytown

SUNNYSIDE the home of Washington Irving from 1835 to 1859. Now open to the public as a museum of Irving's furnishings, books and memorabilia. Two of his most famous stories were set in the Hudson Valley; "Rip Van Winkle" and "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow"

UNION CHURCH of POCANTICO HILLS The rose window above the altar was designed by Henri Matisse and finished just before his death. The north and side windows illustrate 9 biblical stories, designed by Marc Chagall, the only cycle of church windows created by Chagall in the United States.

TARRYTOWN MUSIC HALL the oldest theater in Westchester, built in 1885 by William Wallace, a popular chocolate manufacturer, was used for dollar skating before the turn of the century. Also, early basketball games were held there! In 1902 it hosted the "Finest Flower Show in the East." In 1915 the "Cotton Ball" was the swankiest affair ever held there. It was sponsored by the Tarrytown Equal Franchise Assoc. which was active in the women's suffrage crusade that led to the passage of the 19th Amendment in 1920. From the 20's on it became a moving picture hall. Today it is used by the Mozartina Musical Arts Conservatory, for concerts and movies.

KYKUIT the neoclassical country estate of four generations of the Rockefeller family, is located in Pocantico Hills, Westchester County, overlooking the magnificent Hudson River. The mansion, opened to the public in May 1994, occupies 86 acres of stone terraces, beautiful fountains and formal gardens which provide a perfect backdrop of Gov. Nelson Rockefeller's collection of 20th century sculpture. It is representative of one of the finest and best preserved Beaux Arts houses in the nation.

OLD DUTCH CHURCH (rt 9 Sleepy Hollow) built in 1697 by Frederick Phillips, the oldest church in New York state and one of the oldest in the country,

PHILIPSBURG MANOR Owned by Frederick Phillips, one of the wealthiest men in the early colonies. The mill was the first industry to be established on the Tappan Zee

LYNDHURST CASTLE designed in 1835 by Alexander Jackson Davis, one of America's finest gothic revival mansions, it has a comprehensive collection of Victorian decorative arts. N.Y.C. mayor William Paulding, merchant George Merritt and railroad magnate Jay Gould all resided in this mansion for over a century.

TAPPAN ZEE BRIDGE dedicated in 1955 this "Floating Bridge" spans the widest portion of the Hudson river (3 mi.) known as Tappan Zee, the Dutch word for cold sea. 18,000 years ago, receding glaciers left so much sand and gravel in the riverbed here, engineers were unable to anchor the bridge to bedrock. The bridge is supported on floating concrete slabs. The S curve minimizes the effect of river currents and high winds. 258 G.E. mercury vapor lamps provide the greater concentration of over wanter illumination in the world.

LIGHTHOUSE at KINGSLAND POINT PARK Erected in 1881082 it is 56' high. The light was turned on in 1883 and fueled by kerosene until electricity was installed in the 1940's. Placed on the National Registry of Historic Places in 1979