The Old Dutch Church

The church has stood for centuries.

Its stones have weathered wars, bitter winters, floods, and the slow passing of generations. Beneath the watch of its ancient walls, the dead have rested while the living have come and gone, leaving behind names, dates, and stories that grow less certain with every retelling.

Some names are remembered.

Others have nearly vanished.

Among the older graves are those belonging to the families who settled this valley long before it became known for its ghost stories. The Van Tassels. The Dutch families whose descendants still walk these roads. And those whose lives survive only in fragments of parish records and weathered stone.

The churchyard has always attracted the curious. Most come seeking the Horseman, hoping to stand where Washington Irving's legend placed its final, desperate pursuit.

Few think to ask what stood here before the legend.

Or what might remain beneath it.

An unusual observation

Accounts of an ancient ash tree near the northern churchyard wall have prompted renewed interest in the grounds.

Its age was difficult to establish. Its roots extended deep into soil that appeared unusually dark, even by the standards of the old burial ground.

Following a disturbance of the earth, a carved stone was reportedly observed among the exposed roots.

The marking was indistinct.

A circle. Several worn lines. No recognizable inscription.

Its purpose remains undetermined.

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Related records: Ashwood Farm · Margriet's Journal

End of available record.