Monthly Archives: September 2022

Tarrying in the Lower Hudson Valley

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Along the Hudson River, there are myriad historic and cultural sites to lure visitors. These date in some cases back to the 1700s, when the Dutch settled the area. There are grand estates of the rich and famous, artist and writer’s homes, gardens (built by other rich people) and contemporary sculpture gardens. And lots of natural sites, parks, and wildlife areas. Something for virtually everyone.

There is so much to do, in fact, that it’s hard to choose. Since we were attending a wedding that was on the southern end of things, we stayed within an easy drive of the Tappan Zee (now Mario Cuomo) Bridge, and found plenty to keep us occupied for a couple of days.

Arriving on Friday evening, we drove straight to Tarrytown (in the shadow of the bridge) and took a stroll along the RiverWalk. As the sun set behind the Catskills (fairly low hills at this point), we debated dinner, settling on a cute family-run pan-Asian cafe in nearby downtown Dobbs Ferry.

A cautionary tale for beautiful late summer weekends in the area – make reservations for any tours of popular historic homes well in advance. We missed out on the house tour of Lyndhurst, a majestic and sort of spooky looking Gothic mansion which a lot of rich people like Jay Gould built, expanded upon, and lived in (sometimes, though they had other properties too of course). With the admission to a huge craft fair happening that weekend, we were able to not only check out many local artisans, but also walk freely around the substantial grounds. Especially enjoyable was the skeleton of the greenhouse, once the largest and grandest of its kind.

After lunch in downtown Tarrytown (keeping in the Asian theme with a Korean slant this time), we got the last two tickets for the last tour of the day at Philipsburg Manor. While we waited for the tour to start, we wandered to the nearby Old Dutch Church and cemetery, across the infamous site of the bridge where the legendary Headless Horseman chased the hapless Ichabod Crane. (If you are a bit rusty on your Washington Irving, you might want to download an audio version of the story for fun, like we did!)

The tour of Philipsburg Manor was well worth the wait. The grounds include a grist mill, the manor house, a barn, garden and outdoor bake oven, all flawlessly interpreted by costumed staff (though thankfully not in first person, which always creeps me out). It is the year 1750, and enslaved laborers run the mill, the dairy, the household, the fields, and the baking, since the rich owners really live in Manhattan and hardly ever occupy the premises. It is story that is seldom told in the northern states, and the details of the estate were preserved through an inventory which was meticulously completed down to the last piece of pewterware, due to the last heir dying without a will. (And he was a lawyer, so go figure, but we can all be glad he failed on this account.)

That evening, we caught another beautiful sunset on the Hudson. The next day, we had just enough time to explore a good chunk of the amazing Untermyer Gardens, near our hotel in Yonkers. A Persian-inspired walled garden, a grand staircase sweeping down to an overlook of the Hudson, and a Temple of Love with waterfalls… what more could you ask for?

Some day we will make it to the Upper Hudson Valley (and even to the Middle?), but the southern portion was more than sufficient for one weekend! Here are some snaps of the sites:

Steve documents the Tarrytown Lighthouse, swaddled in some protective scaffolding during a restoration but still cool, and the distant Tappan Zee Bridge. Local students have decorated a temporary wall (a new waterfront park is being built behind it) with their hopes and dreams.
Sunset over the Catskills, along the RiverWalk in Tarrytown.

View of the Lyndhurst mansion from the Bowling Alley on the lower portion of the grounds. The path along the river connects with the RiverWalk in nearby Tarrytown.

The Lyndhurst greenhouse, which is atmospheric in its bare bones condition. Interpretive signs tell about the plantings in each room, which included an extensive orchid collection and an indoor vineyard.
The cemetery next to the Old Dutch Church in Sleepy Hollow is proportedly haunted. FYI, Washington Irving is NOT buried here, though many of his relatives are. You’ll have to visit his “charming cottage” Sunnyside, down the road from Lyndhurst in Tarrytown, to visit his home and his final resting place.
A shed in the cemetery near the church (which you can see a corner of in the background) sports wooden shoes, an homage to the Dutch settlers of the area.
The approach to Philipsburg Manor grounds, with grist mill on the left, manor house in center and barn to the right.
While all the interpreters at Philipsburg Manor were exceptional, this gentleman who interprets the farm work was especially good. His fondness of the lovingly preserved barn (not original to Philipsburg but an authentic barn of the period moved from another property) and his excellent explanation of the growing and early processing of wheat (including flailing) really “separated the wheat from the chaff” of historic interpretation!
Persian walled garden at Untermyer Gardens Conservatory. Based on concepts of Paradise, and truly magical.
An edible garden with the Hudson peeking out in the distance is another feature of Untermyer.
And, finally, the Temple of Love, or the Untermyer version at least. Again with the Hudson in the background.