[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 30 (Tuesday, March 11, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E432]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             SLEEPY HOLLOW

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. SUE W. KELLY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 11, 1997

  Mrs. KELLY. Mr. Speaker:

       In the bosom of one of those spacious coves which indent 
     the eastern shore of the Hudson, at that broad expansion of 
     the river denominated by the ancient Dutch navigators the 
     Tappan Zee, and where they always prudently shortened sail 
     and implored the protection of St. Nicholas when they 
     crossed, there lies a small market town or rural port, which 
     by some is called Greensburgh, but which is more generally 
     and properly known by the name of Tarry Town.--Washington 
     Irving.

  These immortal words penned by Washington Irving more than 150 years 
ago describe a beautiful Hudson Valley village which I am proud to 
represent in Congress. Now, however, Washington Irving's fiction has 
become fact: the village of North Tarrytown, has been renamed the 
village of Sleepy Hollow to recognize the importance that Washington 
Irving's story, ``The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,'' plays in the annals of 
America literature.
  In December of 1996 the village of North Tarrytown, NY, in the town 
of Mt. Pleasant, officially changed its name to the village of Sleepy 
Hollow. I rise today to pay tribute to the village of Sleepy Hollow and 
to recognize the truly historical nature of this village that is 
nestled in the ``bosom of the one of those spacious coves which indent 
the eastern shore of the Hudson . . .''
  The village of Sleepy Hollow is home to not only the great legend 
which Washington Irving created, but also sites of historical 
significance such as Patriots Park where American patriots, during the 
Revolutionary War, captured the British spy Maj. John Andre as he made 
his escape after having been given the plans to West Point by Benedict 
Arnold. Sleepy Hollow is also home to the Sunnyside Estate which was 
the home of Washington Irving and of Kykuit, home to four generations 
of the Rockefeller family.
  The village of Sleepy Hollow, NY holds a special place in the hearts 
of all Americans, from young children enjoying the thrill of reading 
Washington Irving's story for the first time, to the rest of us who 
appreciate the true courage and sacrifices made by American patriots 
during the Revolutionary War. Therefore, I rise today to pay tribute to 
the village of Sleepy Hollow and the townspeople who worked so 
diligently to see this name change become a reality. They have helped 
to preserve a piece of American history and future generations of 
Americans will be truly grateful for their efforts.

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