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Sunnyside (Tarrytown, New York)
Encyclopedia
Sunnyside is a historic house
on 10 acres (4 ha) 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 Landmark
.
(sometimes spelled Wolfert Eckert), a Dutch-American inhabitant of the region. His property, "Wolfert's Roost", was part of the Manor of Philipsburg; it contained the simple two-room cottage (built 1656) and surrounding land. It came into the Van Tassell family, who owned it until 1802. That year, 150 acre (0.607029 km²) were deeded to the family of Benson Ferris, one-time clerk of the Old Dutch Church of Sleepy Hollow
, whose wife, Maria Acker, was a descendant of Wolfert Acker.
and Mississippi River
and the frontier lifestyle made him lament his lack of a home of his own. He was also frustrated because he had lived most of his adult life as a guest in other people's homes. As Irving wrote, he was eager for a home and was "willing to pay a little unreasonably for it". Irving finally purchased the property on June 7, 1835 for $1,800.
Irving wrote a story, Wolfert's Roost, about Acker and the site. In a letter to his brother Peter, he described it as "a beautiful spot, capable of being made a little paradise... I have had an architect up there, and shall build upon the old mansion this summer. My idea is to make a little nookery somewhat in the Dutch style, quaint, but unpretending. It will be of stone."
Irving requested that George Harvey become his aesthetic collaborator and foreman in the house's subsequent remodeling and enlargement. The result, with its wisteria
-covered, stepped-gable entrance and Spanish tower, is instantly recognizable.
Irving accepted a nomination as Minister to Spain
in 1842. He left Sunnyside in the care of his brother Ebeneezer when he left for Spain, though he was sad to leave it. As he wrote, "The only drawback upon all this is the hard trial of tearing myself away from dear little Sunnyside." He returned to New York on September 19, 1846.
In its time, Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.
said that Sunnyside stood "next to Mount Vernon
, the best known and most cherished of all the dwellings in our land." The public interest in the home drew several gawkers hoping to catch a glimpse of Irving working. Irving's neighbor Nathaniel Parker Willis
joked, "Could not Sunny-side 'pay' to be got ready for a boarding-house?"
Irving died of a heart attack in his bedroom at Sunnyside on November 28, 1859. The Irving family continued to inhabit the cottage until 1945, when John D. Rockefeller, Jr.
purchased the house. He opened it to the public in 1947.
Sunnyside is now operated as a museum by Historic Hudson Valley
, which charges an admission fee.
Sunnyside contains a large collection of Irving's original furnishings and accessories. In particular, all furniture and most accessories in his writer's study are original. The dining room, drawing room, and picture gallery, as well as most bedrooms, are open to the public and contain much of their original furnishings.
It was declared a National Historic Landmark
in 1962.
There is a partial replica of Sunnyside in the Washington Irving Memorial Park and Arboretum
in Bixby, Oklahoma
, with a statue of Irving seated on the side porch.
Historic house
A historic house can be a stately home, the birthplace of a famous person, or a house with an interesting history or architecture.- Background :...
on 10 acres (4 ha) of grounds alongside the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
in Tarrytown, New York
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...
. It was formerly the home of noted early American author 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...
, best known for his short stories "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and "Rip Van Winkle", and is a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
.
Early history
In some sense, Sunnyside began almost 200 years before Irving with Wolfert AckerWolfert Acker
Wolfert Acker was a colonial-period American who is featured in Washington Irving's short story collection Wolfert's Roost. His name was recorded in all combinations of Wolfert or Wolvert as given name, and Acker, Echert, or Ecker as surname. He was born in Flatbush, Brooklyn, New York and died at...
(sometimes spelled Wolfert Eckert), a Dutch-American inhabitant of the region. His property, "Wolfert's Roost", was part of the Manor of Philipsburg; it contained the simple two-room cottage (built 1656) and surrounding land. It came into the Van Tassell family, who owned it until 1802. That year, 150 acre (0.607029 km²) were deeded to the family of Benson Ferris, one-time clerk of the Old Dutch Church of Sleepy Hollow
Old Dutch Church of Sleepy Hollow
The Old Dutch Church of Sleepy Hollow, listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Dutch Reformed Church , is a 17th century stone church located on Albany Post Road in Sleepy Hollow, New York, United States. It and its five-acre churchyard feature prominently in Washington Irving's...
, whose wife, Maria Acker, was a descendant of Wolfert Acker.
Washington Irving
In 1832, Washington Irving visited his nephew Oscar Irving who lived near the Hudson River. Near Oscar's property was a small parcel of land and a run-down farmhouse formerly owned by the Van Tassell family. Irving had recently undertaken a substantial trip through the prairies of the Arkansas RiverArkansas River
The Arkansas River is a major tributary of the Mississippi River. The Arkansas generally flows to the east and southeast as it traverses the U.S. states of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The river's initial basin starts in the Western United States in Colorado, specifically the Arkansas...
and Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
and the frontier lifestyle made him lament his lack of a home of his own. He was also frustrated because he had lived most of his adult life as a guest in other people's homes. As Irving wrote, he was eager for a home and was "willing to pay a little unreasonably for it". Irving finally purchased the property on June 7, 1835 for $1,800.
Irving wrote a story, Wolfert's Roost, about Acker and the site. In a letter to his brother Peter, he described it as "a beautiful spot, capable of being made a little paradise... I have had an architect up there, and shall build upon the old mansion this summer. My idea is to make a little nookery somewhat in the Dutch style, quaint, but unpretending. It will be of stone."
Irving requested that George Harvey become his aesthetic collaborator and foreman in the house's subsequent remodeling and enlargement. The result, with its wisteria
Wisteria
Wisteria is a genus of flowering plants in the pea family, Fabaceae, that includes ten species of woody climbing vines native to the eastern United States and to China, Korea, and Japan. Aquarists refer to the species Hygrophila difformis, in the family Acanthaceae, as Water Wisteria...
-covered, stepped-gable entrance and Spanish tower, is instantly recognizable.
Irving accepted a nomination as Minister to Spain
United States Ambassador to Spain
-Ambassadors:*John Jay**Appointed: September 29, 1779**Title: Minister Plenipotentiary**Presented credentials:**Terminated mission: ~May 20, 1782*William Carmichael**Appointed: April 20, 1790**Title: Chargé d'Affaires...
in 1842. He left Sunnyside in the care of his brother Ebeneezer when he left for Spain, though he was sad to leave it. As he wrote, "The only drawback upon all this is the hard trial of tearing myself away from dear little Sunnyside." He returned to New York on September 19, 1846.
In its time, Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. was an American physician, professor, lecturer, and author. Regarded by his peers as one of the best writers of the 19th century, he is considered a member of the Fireside Poets. His most famous prose works are the "Breakfast-Table" series, which began with The Autocrat...
said that Sunnyside stood "next to Mount Vernon
Mount Vernon (plantation)
Mount Vernon, located near Alexandria, Virginia, was the plantation home of the first President of the United States, George Washington. The mansion is built of wood in neoclassical Georgian architectural style, and the estate is located on the banks of the Potomac River.Mount Vernon was designated...
, the best known and most cherished of all the dwellings in our land." The public interest in the home drew several gawkers hoping to catch a glimpse of Irving working. Irving's neighbor Nathaniel Parker Willis
Nathaniel Parker Willis
Nathaniel Parker Willis , also known as N. P. Willis, was an American author, poet and editor who worked with several notable American writers including Edgar Allan Poe and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. He became the highest-paid magazine writer of his day. For a time, he was the employer of former...
joked, "Could not Sunny-side 'pay' to be got ready for a boarding-house?"
Irving died of a heart attack in his bedroom at Sunnyside on November 28, 1859. The Irving family continued to inhabit the cottage until 1945, when 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...
purchased the house. He opened it to the public in 1947.
Modern use
Historic Hudson Valley
Historic Hudson Valley is a not-for-profit educational and historic preservation organization headquartered in Tarrytown, New York, in Westchester County...
, which charges an admission fee.
Sunnyside contains a large collection of Irving's original furnishings and accessories. In particular, all furniture and most accessories in his writer's study are original. The dining room, drawing room, and picture gallery, as well as most bedrooms, are open to the public and contain much of their original furnishings.
It was declared a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
in 1962.
There is a partial replica of Sunnyside in the Washington Irving Memorial Park and Arboretum
Washington Irving Memorial Park and Arboretum
Washington Irving Memorial Park and Arboretum is a public park and arboretum located just north of the Arkansas River Bridge at 13700 S. Memorial Drive, Bixby, Oklahoma. The park is named in honor of American writer Washington Irving, who camped in the area in October 1832 while participating in a...
in Bixby, Oklahoma
Bixby, Oklahoma
Bixby is a city in Tulsa and Wagoner counties in the U.S. state of Oklahoma, and is a suburb of Tulsa. The population was 13,336 at the 2000 census and 20,884 in the 2010 census. It is nicknamed "The Garden Spot of Oklahoma" for its rich agrarian heritage...
, with a statue of Irving seated on the side porch.
See also
- List of National Historic Landmarks in New York
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Westchester County, New York
- Washington Irving MemorialWashington Irving MemorialThe Washington Irving Memorial is located at Broadway and West Sunnyside Lane in Irvington, New York, United States. It features a bust of Irving and sculptures of two of his better-known characters by Daniel Chester French, set in a small stone plaza at the street corner designed by Charles A....
External links
- Sunnyside, at Irvington Historical Society
- Sunnyside web site (Historic Hudson Valley)
- Sunnyside: 11 photos and 9 drawings, at Historic American Building Survey