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The Gray Farm (Sleepy Hollow) from Arnold J. Kaplan — No Comments

  1. I’d like to share a story about the Sleepy Hollow Farm with you if I may. In 1985 I was working for IBM in Endicott, NY as a mailroom employee. Toward the end of each year companies would send calendars to our employees but if they were not addressed properly we would place them in a box. One of the calendars that ended up in the box had a picture of the Sleepy Hollow Farm for the month of October. On Columbus Day weekend my wife-to-be and I took a trip to find the farm. With a little help we did. We also met the then current owner Henry Wakeman. The initial meeting did not go so well since Mr. Wakeman accused us of hanging a straw cross on one of his barns but we assured him that it was not us. I showed him the calendar and explained why we stopped by. Of course he wanted the picture so I gave him the calendar.

    The following summer we were at July Fest in Binghamton, NY and a gentleman had a display of photos from New England. As I rummaged through them I found one of the Sleepy Hollow Farm that was labeled the Gray Farm. I told him that I was quite sure it was the Sleepy Hollow Farm but he told me that the name Gray was on the mailbox. Anyway, I ended up writing a letter to Mr. Wakeman to ask him what he knew of the name. He did write back and explained that he purchased the farm from the previous owner who was named Gray. I think he said Mr. Gray was a lawyer. So, the gentleman with the display was correct, he must have taken the photo when Mr. Gray still owned the farm.

    The reason I even thought about the farm today was because there was a TV commercial for Steven Tyler and Joe Perry from Aerosmith being on an upcoming show. A few years ago I read on the internet that Joe Perry bought the Sleepy Hollow Farm.

    Ron Dwornik

    PS When we found the farm I took a photo from the exact spot as the calendar photo. I also contacted the company that sent out the calendar and they sent me a new one. To this day both calendar and photo are tucked away in my attic.

    • Thanks Ron, I love hearing the background story behind a location. I love to stop and talk to the owners or other people in the area. OH! and I would take the calendar out of the attic and bring them downstairs and put them together. Let them memory be around all the time to enjoy! (IMHO)

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