Construction of the Old Dutch Church of Sleepy Hollow was ordered by Frederick Philipse, a wealthy Dutch landowner. When the British claimed the colony, he pledged his allegiance to the Crown as was rewarded with a title and manorship. He chose to settle in North Tarrytown, colloquially known as Sleepy Hollow.
The church, like the rest of the region, became famous thanks to the short story "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" by Washington Irving.