• Menu
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Before Header

Visit Sleepy Hollow

Where the Legend Lives

  • See
    • Christ Episcopal Church
    • Headless Horseman Bridge
    • Headless Horseman Statue
    • Historical Society
    • Kykuit
    • Legend Landmarks
    • Lyndhurst
    • Octagon House
    • Old Croton Aqueduct Trail
    • Old Dutch Church
    • Philipsburg Manor
    • Rockefeller State Park Preserve 
      • Rocky’s 5K
    • Sleepy Hollow Cemetery
    • Sleepy Hollow Lighthouse
    • Sunnyside
    • Union Church of Pocantico Hills
  • Events
    • Events Calendar
    • Jazz Forum
    • Jazz at Horan’s Landing Park
    • Jazz at Pierson Park
    • Sleepy Hollow Cemetery Tours
    • Sunset Jazz at Lyndhurst Summer Series
    • Tarrytown Music Hall Performances
    • Halloween in Sleepy Hollow
  • Shop
    • Farmers Markets
    • Sleepy Hollow Souvenirs
  • Dine
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch and Dinner
    • Drinks
    • Coffee & Tea
    • Sweets
  • Stay
    • Hotels
    • Motels and Budget
    • Inns and Bed & Breakfasts
    • Camping
  • About
    • Directions
    • Carl’s Mill
    • Movies Made Here
    • Spook Rock
    • Florence Inn
  • See
    • Christ Episcopal Church
    • Headless Horseman Bridge
    • Headless Horseman Statue
    • Historical Society
    • Kykuit
    • Legend Landmarks
    • Lyndhurst
    • Octagon House
    • Old Croton Aqueduct Trail
    • Old Dutch Church
    • Philipsburg Manor
    • Rockefeller State Park Preserve 
      • Rocky’s 5K
    • Sleepy Hollow Cemetery
    • Sleepy Hollow Lighthouse
    • Sunnyside
    • Union Church of Pocantico Hills
  • Events
    • Events Calendar
    • Jazz Forum
    • Jazz at Horan’s Landing Park
    • Jazz at Pierson Park
    • Sleepy Hollow Cemetery Tours
    • Sunset Jazz at Lyndhurst Summer Series
    • Tarrytown Music Hall Performances
    • Halloween in Sleepy Hollow
  • Shop
    • Farmers Markets
    • Sleepy Hollow Souvenirs
  • Dine
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch and Dinner
    • Drinks
    • Coffee & Tea
    • Sweets
  • Stay
    • Hotels
    • Motels and Budget
    • Inns and Bed & Breakfasts
    • Camping
  • About
    • Directions
    • Carl’s Mill
    • Movies Made Here
    • Spook Rock
    • Florence Inn
A view of a small waterfall on the Pocantico River near the former location of Carl's Mill.

Carl’s Mill

An antique etching of Carl's Mill on the Pocantico River in Sleepy Hollow.

Text and photos by Emma G.

“His greatest treasure of historic lore, however, was discovered in an old goblin-looking mill, situated among rocks and water-falls, with clanking wheels, and rushing streams, and all kinds of uncouth noises. A horse-shoe, nailed to the door to keep off witches and evil spirits, showed that this mill was subject to the awful visitations. As we approached it, an old negro thrust his head, all dabbled with flour, out of a hole above the water-wheel, and grinned, and rolled his eyes and looked like the very hobgoblin of the place. The illustrious Diedrich fixed upon him, at once, as the very one to give him that invaluable kind of information, never to be acquired from books. He beckoned him from his nest, sat with him by the house on a broken mill-stone, by the side of the waterfall, heedless of the noise of the water, and the clatter of the mill; and I verily believe it was to his conference with his African sage, and the precious revelations of the good dame of the spinning wheel, that we are indebted for the surprising though true history of Ichabod Crane and the headless horseman, which has since astounded and edified the world.”

-Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving, Knickerbocker Magazine, 1839.

It is no secret that Washington Irving’s many inspirations for “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” came from a variety of people and locations that he knew during his time living in the area. The essay excerpt above relays Irving’s autobiographically toned revelations in the area regarding the Legend. According to the piece, Irving’s alter-ego: Diedrich Knickerbocker sits with a black mill worker, who imparts the basis for the Legend. But, what about the “old goblin looking mill” itself? Is that somehow rooted in truth?

The mill is none other than Carl’s Mill once located on the Pocantico River in Sleepy Hollow. Originally the land belonged to the Dutch Patroon Adriaen van de Donck, before becoming part of Frederick Philipse’s Manor in the late 17th century, and then being broken up and sold after the American Revolution. The earliest land Atlas of the area was published in 1867 by F.W. Beers shows a large mill complex named ‘Harts Mills’ and a smaller ‘S&G Mill’ just east of the Pocantico River and a loop that is likely a mill race. While there isn’t any mention of a ‘Carls Mill’, just across the street from the two mill complexes, is property owned by a “J. Carl”. According to some sources, J. Carl did indeed own a mill in the 19th century.

In Irving’s 1855 book Wolfert’s Roost: and other Papers Carl’s Mill makes another appearance. In it, Irving refers to Carl’s Mill as the “the haunted house of the neighborhood”, which suggests that by the middle of the 19th century and prior to official maps of the area, the already spooky looking mill was possibly abandoned and by the scribing of the Beers’ Atlas 12 years later, was long gone from the landscape. Further cleansing of structures, mill or otherwise, in the area was taken care of by the Rockefellers near the turn of the 20th century. Descriptions from around 1899 suggest that anything in the vicinity were also in ruin.

Sometimes to truly understand a historic place, one must venture out and find it. Today, it is not far off of modern day Sleepy Hollow Road, within the confines of the Rockefeller State Park Preserve. Park your car and take the Old Sleepy Hollow Road trail until it intersects with the Pocantico River Trail that runs on the western side of the river. A little way to the south, where a rock retaining wall overlooks the river, the Pocantico shifts from its sleepy and gentle nature into a more vigorous and rushing rapid that courses over small drops and a singular flume flanked on either side by enormous boulders.

It is at this spot that Carl’s Mill once stood. The boulder’s and small flume matching those seen just above the Water Wheel in Miller’s painting. The retaining wall in the distance is a good stand-in for the edge of a mill dam also set in the background of the rendering. Savvy explorers can see former foundations tucked away in the undergrowth on the opposite side of the river and once the leaves and water levels have dropped, the abandoned mill stones reveal themselves.

The Pocantico and the location of Carl’s Mill is a different type of landscape today, with a highway and powerlines just discernable through the trees. There is no haunted or hobgoblin infested building here anymore, but the river still runs noisy and idyllic through the sweeping forest. If you do head out in search of Carl’s Mill and find yourself sitting on the boulders near the flume, shut your eyes. Imagine hearing the burbles and rush of the water over the wheel, the creaking of the wooden gears, and the faint rumble of grinding of the mill stones inside as Carl’s Mill emerges out of the past and lives on again in Sleepy Hollow.

Primary Sidebar

Advertisement for Sleepy Hollow Cemetery day and evening walking tours.

Recent Posts

  • Spring Makers Market
  • Rocky’s 5K
  • Sleepy Hollow Street Fair
  • Hulda’s Night at Rockefeller State Park Preserve
  • Tarrytown Halloween Parade
Save on your hotel - hotelscombined.com

Loading view.
  • Week of May 22
  • Previous week
  • Next week
9:00 am
A promotional image for Lyndhurst Ramble Tour shows apple trees silhouetted against a sunny lawn.
May 22 @ 9:30 am - 11:00 am Recurring

History in the Landscape Tour – Lyndhurst

Lyndhurst 635 South Broadway, Tarrytown
$15 – $20
Fresh yellow and green squash at Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow Farmers Market.
May 22 @ 9:30 am - 1:00 pm Recurring

Irvington Farmers Market

Main Street School 101 Main Street, Irvington
10:00 am
Washington Irving's home, Sunnyside, is framed by a clear, blue sky and the white gravel driveway.
May 22 @ 10:00 am - 3:30 pm Recurring

Sunnyside Tours

Sunnyside 3 W Sunnyside Lane, Irvington
$12 – $17
The Octagon House in Irvington, NY is open seasonally for tours.
May 22 @ 10:00 am - 5:00 pm Recurring

Octagon House Tours

Armour-Stiner Octagon House 45 W Clinton Avenue, Irvington
$27 – $29
A view of the main entranct to Kykuit, the John D. Rockefeller mansion.
May 22 @ 10:00 am - 5:00 pm Recurring

Kykuit Tours

Philipsburg Manor 381 North Broadway, Sleepy Hollow
$18 – $60
May 22 @ 10:30 am - 3:30 pm Recurring

Philipsburg Manor Tours

Philipsburg Manor 381 North Broadway, Sleepy Hollow
$12 – $17
11:00 am
A Sleepy Hollow Cemetery walking tour pauses at the gate to Washington Irving's family lot.
May 22 @ 11:30 am - 12:30 pm Recurring

The Original Knickerbocker Tour

Sleepy Hollow Cemetery - South Gate 430 North Broadway, Sleepy Hollow
$15
+ 8 More
10:00 am
The Octagon House in Irvington, NY is open seasonally for tours.
May 23 @ 10:00 am - 5:00 pm Recurring

Octagon House Tours

Armour-Stiner Octagon House 45 W Clinton Avenue, Irvington
$27 – $29
  • No events scheduled for May 24, 2022.
7:00 am
A small group of birders looks over a lake.
May 25 @ 7:00 am - 9:00 am Recurring

Small Group Birding at Rockefeller State Park Preserve

Rockefeller State Park Preserve 125 Phelps Way, Pleasantville
Free
10:00 am
The Octagon House in Irvington, NY is open seasonally for tours.
May 26 @ 10:00 am - 5:00 pm Recurring

Octagon House Tours

Armour-Stiner Octagon House 45 W Clinton Avenue, Irvington
$27 – $29
7:00 pm
Sunset over the Tappan Zee Bridge and Hudson River.
May 26 @ 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm

Sunset Hike at Rockwood Hall

Rockwood Hall 1 Rockwood Road, Sleepy Hollow
$3
9:00 am
A promotional image for Lyndhurst Ramble Tour shows apple trees silhouetted against a sunny lawn.
May 27 @ 9:30 am - 11:00 am Recurring

History in the Landscape Tour – Lyndhurst

Lyndhurst 635 South Broadway, Tarrytown
$15 – $20
10:00 am
Washington Irving's home, Sunnyside, is framed by a clear, blue sky and the white gravel driveway.
May 27 @ 10:00 am - 3:30 pm Recurring

Sunnyside Tours

Sunnyside 3 W Sunnyside Lane, Irvington
$12 – $17
The Octagon House in Irvington, NY is open seasonally for tours.
May 27 @ 10:00 am - 5:00 pm Recurring

Octagon House Tours

Armour-Stiner Octagon House 45 W Clinton Avenue, Irvington
$27 – $29
May 27 @ 10:30 am - 12:00 pm Recurring

Women’s Work Art Tour – Lyndhurst

Lyndhurst 635 South Broadway, Tarrytown
$16 – $30
May 27 @ 10:30 am - 3:30 pm Recurring

Philipsburg Manor Tours

Philipsburg Manor 381 North Broadway, Sleepy Hollow
$12 – $17
A view of the front entrance to Union Church of Pocantico Hills against a deep blue sky.
May 27 @ 10:30 am - 3:30 pm Recurring

Union Church Tours

Union Church of Pocantico Hills 555 Bedford Road, Sleepy Hollow
$9
7:00 pm
May 27 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm Recurring

Helio Alves & Chico Pinheiro Quartet

Jazz Forum Club 1 Dixon Lane, Tarrytown
$25 – $30
+ 5 More
8:00 am
Fresh produce from Berry Brook Farm at Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow Farmers Market.
May 28 @ 8:30 am - 2:00 pm Recurring

TaSH Farmers Market

Patriots Park Patriots Park, Tarrytown
Free
9:00 am
Hikers walk on a trail in Rockefeller State Park Preserve.
May 28 @ 9:00 am - 11:00 am

Hike with Mike: “Know Your Limits” Part 1

Rockefeller State Park Preserve 125 Phelps Way, Pleasantville
$3
A promotional image for Lyndhurst Ramble Tour shows apple trees silhouetted against a sunny lawn.
May 28 @ 9:30 am - 11:00 am Recurring

History in the Landscape Tour – Lyndhurst

Lyndhurst 635 South Broadway, Tarrytown
$15 – $20
10:00 am
Washington Irving's home, Sunnyside, is framed by a clear, blue sky and the white gravel driveway.
May 28 @ 10:00 am - 3:30 pm Recurring

Sunnyside Tours

Sunnyside 3 W Sunnyside Lane, Irvington
$12 – $17
The Octagon House in Irvington, NY is open seasonally for tours.
May 28 @ 10:00 am - 5:00 pm Recurring

Octagon House Tours

Armour-Stiner Octagon House 45 W Clinton Avenue, Irvington
$27 – $29
A view of the main entranct to Kykuit, the John D. Rockefeller mansion.
May 28 @ 10:00 am - 5:00 pm Recurring

Kykuit Tours

Philipsburg Manor 381 North Broadway, Sleepy Hollow
$18 – $60
May 28 @ 10:30 am - 12:00 pm Recurring

Women’s Work Art Tour – Lyndhurst

Lyndhurst 635 South Broadway, Tarrytown
$16 – $30
May 28 @ 10:30 am - 3:30 pm Recurring

Philipsburg Manor Tours

Philipsburg Manor 381 North Broadway, Sleepy Hollow
$12 – $17
A view of the front entrance to Union Church of Pocantico Hills against a deep blue sky.
May 28 @ 10:30 am - 3:30 pm Recurring

Union Church Tours

Union Church of Pocantico Hills 555 Bedford Road, Sleepy Hollow
$9
+ 11 More

Week of Events

Sun 22

Mon 23

Tue 24

Wed 25

Thu 26

Fri 27

Sat 28

9:30 am - 11:00 am Recurring

History in the Landscape Tour – Lyndhurst

A promotional image for Lyndhurst Ramble Tour shows apple trees silhouetted against a sunny lawn.
May 22 @ 9:30 am - 11:00 am Recurring

History in the Landscape Tour – Lyndhurst

This outdoor walking tour examines the history of the landscaped Lyndhurst estate throughout three families’ ownership. Visitors are led down from the Lyndhurst Veranda and its marble garden furniture and …

$15 – $20
9:30 am - 1:00 pm Recurring

Irvington Farmers Market

Fresh yellow and green squash at Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow Farmers Market.
May 22 @ 9:30 am - 1:00 pm Recurring

Irvington Farmers Market

Proudly showcasing the best food producers (farmers, bakers, fish & cheese mongers, pretzel, kimchi and even dumpling makers) within a 200-mile radius of the market. Winter Season: 12/12, 1/9 & …

10:00 am - 3:30 pm Recurring

Sunnyside Tours

Washington Irving's home, Sunnyside, is framed by a clear, blue sky and the white gravel driveway.
May 22 @ 10:00 am - 3:30 pm Recurring

Sunnyside Tours

A charming, romantic Hudson River landscape. America’s “Founding Father of Literature” created a romantic, picturesque estate nestled along the Hudson riverbank. The enchanted landscape of Washington Irving’s much-loved Sunnyside has …

$12 – $17
+ 8 More
10:00 am - 5:00 pm Recurring

Octagon House Tours

The Octagon House in Irvington, NY is open seasonally for tours.
May 23 @ 10:00 am - 5:00 pm Recurring

Octagon House Tours

The Armour-Stiner Octagon House, a registered National Historic Landmark, will be offering a series of guided tours; “Springtime at The Octagon House: Historic Home and Landscape Tour” April 28 through …

$27 – $29
7:00 am - 9:00 am Recurring

Small Group Birding at Rockefeller State Park Preserve

A small group of birders looks over a lake.
May 25 @ 7:00 am - 9:00 am Recurring

Small Group Birding at Rockefeller State Park Preserve

Rockefeller State Park Preserve together with adjoining private lands is one of the largest undeveloped tracts of land in Westchester County. With its mix of woodlands, fields, wetlands and a lake, the …

Free
10:00 am - 5:00 pm Recurring

Octagon House Tours

The Octagon House in Irvington, NY is open seasonally for tours.
May 26 @ 10:00 am - 5:00 pm Recurring

Octagon House Tours

The Armour-Stiner Octagon House, a registered National Historic Landmark, will be offering a series of guided tours; “Springtime at The Octagon House: Historic Home and Landscape Tour” April 28 through …

$27 – $29
7:30 pm - 9:00 pm

Sunset Hike at Rockwood Hall

Sunset over the Tappan Zee Bridge and Hudson River.
May 26 @ 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm

Sunset Hike at Rockwood Hall

Join this 3-mile sunset hike at Rockwood Hall for what the organizer hopes will be a spectacular view over the Hudson River and the Tappan Zee Bridge. Please dress according …

$3
9:30 am - 11:00 am Recurring

History in the Landscape Tour – Lyndhurst

A promotional image for Lyndhurst Ramble Tour shows apple trees silhouetted against a sunny lawn.
May 27 @ 9:30 am - 11:00 am Recurring

History in the Landscape Tour – Lyndhurst

This outdoor walking tour examines the history of the landscaped Lyndhurst estate throughout three families’ ownership. Visitors are led down from the Lyndhurst Veranda and its marble garden furniture and …

$15 – $20
10:00 am - 3:30 pm Recurring

Sunnyside Tours

Washington Irving's home, Sunnyside, is framed by a clear, blue sky and the white gravel driveway.
May 27 @ 10:00 am - 3:30 pm Recurring

Sunnyside Tours

A charming, romantic Hudson River landscape. America’s “Founding Father of Literature” created a romantic, picturesque estate nestled along the Hudson riverbank. The enchanted landscape of Washington Irving’s much-loved Sunnyside has …

$12 – $17
10:00 am - 5:00 pm Recurring

Octagon House Tours

The Octagon House in Irvington, NY is open seasonally for tours.
May 27 @ 10:00 am - 5:00 pm Recurring

Octagon House Tours

The Armour-Stiner Octagon House, a registered National Historic Landmark, will be offering a series of guided tours; “Springtime at The Octagon House: Historic Home and Landscape Tour” April 28 through …

$27 – $29
+ 5 More
8:30 am - 2:00 pm Recurring

TaSH Farmers Market

Fresh produce from Berry Brook Farm at Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow Farmers Market.
May 28 @ 8:30 am - 2:00 pm Recurring

TaSH Farmers Market

Fresh Hudson Valley produce, meat, bread, honey, specialty foods, cut flowers, dairy products, beer and wine. There is occasionally live music or demonstrations of traditional crafts. Route 9 (Broadway) next …

Free
9:00 am - 11:00 am

Hike with Mike: “Know Your Limits” Part 1

Hikers walk on a trail in Rockefeller State Park Preserve.
May 28 @ 9:00 am - 11:00 am

Hike with Mike: “Know Your Limits” Part 1

Get to know your pace and preferred distance in this series of three hikes in Rockefeller State Park Preserve, taking place over three months and guided by Mike Miernik. Part …

$3
9:30 am - 11:00 am Recurring

History in the Landscape Tour – Lyndhurst

A promotional image for Lyndhurst Ramble Tour shows apple trees silhouetted against a sunny lawn.
May 28 @ 9:30 am - 11:00 am Recurring

History in the Landscape Tour – Lyndhurst

This outdoor walking tour examines the history of the landscaped Lyndhurst estate throughout three families’ ownership. Visitors are led down from the Lyndhurst Veranda and its marble garden furniture and …

$15 – $20
+ 11 More
View Calendar

Copyright © 2022 Sleepy Hollow Cemetery Historic Fund, Inc. · All Rights Reserved · Powered by Mai Theme · Privacy Policy