Washington Irving

Bio

(1783-1859) Author, essayist, travel writer. Irving was born at 131 William Street in New York City and later lived at 428-434 Lafayette Avenue. One of the legends of American literature, Irving bought a manor in Tarrytown in 1835, called Sunnyside. Irving maintained the residence for over 20 years, living there between 1835-1842 and then again from 1848-1859 (the intervening years were spent as U.S. Ambassador to Spain). Irving wrote short stories, essays, volumes of history, travel books, etc. His best-known works include the comic history “A History of New York” (1809), under the pseudonym Dietrich Knickerbocker; “The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent.” (1819-20); and the five-volume “Life of George Washington” (1855-59). Irving was also the author of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” and “Rip Van Winkle,” two famous American folk-tales. Leeds is the setting for the story “Rip Van Winkle.” Sunnyside still stands today and has been transformed into a museum. He died at Sunnyside and is buried in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, near the Old Dutch Church on Broadway.