Tea and a Tale: Celebrating the 200th Anniversary of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”

The Old Dutch Church of Sleepy Hollow

“The sequestered situation of this church seems always to have made it a favorite haunt of troubled spirits. It stands on a knoll, surrounded by locust, trees and lofty elms, from among which its decent, whitewashed walls shine modestly forth, like Christian purity beaming through the shades of retirement.” - "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow", Washington Irving

I finally got back to the Hollow this week during daylight to walk the historic grounds of the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery and the The Old Dutch Church, the oldest in the country (estimated at 1685). 

A beautiful site with gently rolling hills, loads of foliage, and varying styles of stone work, this place is both a living work of art and of history. Washington Irving, the author of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” is buried here. I thought he’d have one of the house-like mausoleums in the cemetery considering how well he was known even in his own time. He was a lawyer, historian and diplomat on top of being a creative writer. Not bad for never going to college and being the 11th child of a sizable family. Not resting in a mausoleum, Irving’s modest tombstone is in his family plot at the cemetery.

“The immediate cause, however, of the prevalence of supernatural stories in these parts, was doubtless owing to the vicinity of Sleepy Hollow. There was a contagion in the very air that blew from that haunted region; it breathed forth an atmosphere of dreams and fancies infecting all the land.”
- "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow", Washington Irving

This is the 200th anniversary of the publication of the tale of the creepy headless ghost that would haunt the dirt roadways of the town at night. The story was published as part of a compilation called The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. in March 1820. 

This is such a classic spooky tale that has not only survived as a Halloween staple it has inspired TV shows and multiple movies like Tim Burton’s version in 1999. The town is definitely developed, but historic sites like the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery and the Old Dutch Church seem frozen in time. I went on a beautifully overcast day that was not too hot nor too cold, just Goldilocks perfect, and quiet for Halloween season. I even found the Van Tassel plot by pure chance - the family whose daughter Katrina plays such a part in the story. 

“It was, as I have said, a fine autumnal day; the sky was clear and serene, and nature wore that rich and golden livery which we always associate with the idea of abundance.”
​ - "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow", Washington Irving

Tea in America in the Early 19th Century
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In 1820, when the story was published, America was between wars. The war of 1812 was over and the British were stopped from invading the northern US, but the Civil War was yet to begin. New York was on the verge of massive immigrant growth and even post-Boston Tea Party, tea was a huge import. 

In 1820, when the story was published, America was between wars. The war of 1812 was over and the British were stopped from invading the northern US, but the Civil War was yet to begin. New York was on the verge of massive immigrant growth and even post-Boston Tea Party, tea was a huge import. 

This was a time when whiskey was cheaper than tea, and the early temperance movement was growing. It was also the time of another pandemic: the cholera pandemic of Asia. 
After the Revolutionary war the US lost trade with the British West Indies, impacting tea imports. Adventurous entrepreneurs, like banker Robert Morris, took up the slack, and trade with China included tea:
“Tea was the most important imported commodity Americans obtained from China through the end of the 19th century. Initially, American imports from China largely consisted of cloth (nankeen and silk) as well as tea. Tea became the dominant commodity, expanding from approximately 36% of the total imports from China in 1822 to 65% in 1860.”


Though some turned to coffee and herbal Liberty Tea after the war, true tea did not disappear and even the President kept his tea time.


1820 is prior to the popularization of afternoon tea and the rise of the tea room. At this time tea was mostly an after dinner bevvy. I can imagine teacups rattling against saucers as scary tales were told on cold nights by the fire in Sleepy Hollow.

The Headless Horseman haunts Sleepy Hollow Cemetery

“The chief part of the stories, however, turned upon the favorite spectre of Sleepy Hollow, the Headless Horseman, who had been heard several times of late, patrolling the country; and, it was said, tethered his horse nightly among the graves in the churchyard.” - "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow", Washington Irving

I love tea and a good tale. Revisiting this classic story and the place of its origin made for a great Fall and Halloween experience. What books are you pairing with tea lately? Let me know on Facebook or Twitter.

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Tea Deviant at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery

“On mounting a rising ground, which brought the figure of his fellow-traveller in relief against the sky, gigantic in height, and muffled in a cloak, Ichabod was horror-struck on perceiving that he was headless! but his horror was still more increased on observing that the head, which should have rested on his shoulders, was carried before him on the pommel of his saddle!” 
- "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow", Washington Irving