Hudson Valley hosting plenty of haunted happenings

Next time you sail up the Hudson, be sure to tip your hat before going past the deepest part of the river, known as World's End.

If you don't, you just might be in for some rough waters ahead — courtesy of mischievous Dutch river imps.

Oh, you hadn't heard of them?

According to Hudson Valley lore, these creatures — led by Dwerg, "Heer of the Donderberg," as the Dutch sailors called him — have long been suspected of whipping up sudden storms, conjuring fog in the middle of a clear day, sinking boats and swamping the canoes of those who failed to pay proper homage, either by tipping a hat or lowering a sail.

While the rumored river imps have been causing mischief for centuries, many New York City harbor pilots still tip their hats as they sail past the point just before the Bear Mountain Bridge — better to be safe than sorry.

The imps are just a sampling of the superstitious tales, ghost stories and other devilry that are here in this part of the Hudson Valley, the epicenter of which is, of course, Sleepy Hollow.

Watch out for those imps getting up to mischief on the Hudson River near Bear Mountain Bridge.Photo: NY Post photo composite

"An old Indian chief, the prophet or wizard of his tribe, held his powwows there before the country was discovered by Master Hendrick Hudson," wrote Washington Irving in his famous tale "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow."

"Certain it is, the place still continues under the sway of some witching power, that holds a spell over the minds of the good people, causing them to walk in a continual sense of reverie."

Everyone is familiar with the ill-fated schoolteacher Ichabod Crane and his Headless Horseman, but other characters have received lesser billing.

"There are ghosts of Indians and Dutchmen, and of Revolutionary War soldiers and spies, ghosts of presidents, slaves, priests and laborers," writes Judith Richardson in "Possessions: The History and Uses of Haunting in the Hudson Valley." "There are neighborhoods of ghosts and family ghosts, and ghosts whose identities are unknown. There are haunted cemeteries, houses, mountains, bridges, and factories. There are Spook Rocks and Spook Hollows, and Spook Fields. There are places haunted by famous ghosts," she continues.

To sum up: Lots of ghosts. Lots of spooky happenings.

With Halloween approaching and the second season of the cult hit show "Sleepy Hollow" under way, it's the perfect time to brush up on the haunted Hudson Valley.

For an introduction to the area legends, we turned to Jonathan Kruk, master storyteller and author of the book "Legends and Lore of Sleepy Hollow and the Hudson Valley." And while we can't guarantee any ghost sightings, we can tell you where to go to maximize your chances . . .

Ghost Ships

On a misty day, go to Rockwood Hall Park and you may see a ghostly ship on the Hudson River.Photo: Angel Chevrestt

Imps aren't the only ones wreaking havoc on the Hudson. "The mists on the Hudson River have caused people to believe they're seeing a ship," says Kruk. Some think they're seeing the Flying Dutchman, the ship that paid a terrible price after its captain cursed both God and the devil in order to round Cape Horn safely.

They made the difficult passage, but were doomed to sail on for eternity, docking in a port just one night every seven years — unless one of the crew members could find a woman to fall in love with him (if not, it'd be another seven years of aimless sailing, which gets pretty boring).

"People have met odd strangers in Tarrytown bars and thought, 'Maybe these are members of the crew, trying to get someone to break the spell,' " says Kruk. Then again, they could have just been strangers in a bar, trying to get a waitress to bring them beer and buffalo wings.

Where to go: The hiking loop through Rockwood Hall park, formerly the summer home of William Rockefeller, offers a vista of the Hudson River. Rockwood Hall is on Phelps Way, Pleasantville, NY.

The White Lady of Raven Rock

Love denied is at the heart of this area ghost tale, this one involving a young Sleepy Hollow woman named Gertje and her affection for a British officer — a risky endeavor in Revolutionary War-era Westchester, where loyalties were divided between Tories and Patriots.

Legend has it Gertje comes out of hiding when storms roll in. "My beloved! Have you come for me?"

While strolling along the Tappan Zee, the British officer made many promises to his Dutch-American lady, including that he would take her away to his family plantation in Jamaica. Before the lieutenant left to rejoin the battle, he promised to marry her.

"Come in two months time when my service is done," he told her, as Kruk recounts in his book. "I will sail through the Tappan Zee to Tarrytown. Look from this rock for my white topsail!" What could possibly go wrong? Two months later, Gertje appeared in her wedding dress on Raven Rock, a craggy outcrop in what is now the Rockefeller estate in Sleepy Hollow. As she waited, the weather took a turn for the worse and a fierce winter storm began. But Gertje waited for her man.

As the wind lashed the water, she confused the whitecaps in the waves with her lieutenant's white sail. "My beloved! Is that you? Have you come for me?" she cried out, until her voice grew hoarse. The lieutenant, for whatever reason, was a no-show. When spring came, two huntsmen found the frozen body of Gertje under the melting snow.

And whenever storms come to Sleepy Hollow now, some say they can see the White Lady returning to the cliffs to ask, again and again, "My beloved! Have you come for me?"

Where to go: Raven Rock is located on the east side of Buttermilk Hill in the northern part of Rockefeller Preserve, 125 Phelps Way, Pleasantville, NY.

The Ghost of Major Andre

A dapper officer in the British army, Andre, who is played by actor JJ Feild in the AMC Revolutionary War drama "Turn," began to plot with an American general named Benedict Arnold in 1780.

But Major Andre was caught en route to Dobbs Ferry with six pages given to him by Arnold on how to take the American fortress at West Point.

JJ Feild plays Major Andre in AMC's "Turn."Photo: Frank Ockenfels 3/AMC

As he rode through Sleepy Hollow, he was detained by a man in a Hessian coat, who asked, "Which party are ye from?" "The lower party!" cried Andre, referring to the lower part of Westchester from Irvington and beyond, which was under British control (Upper Westchester was American, or rebel, controlled, and the middle of the county was a no-man's land).

He was relieved to be stopped by someone he thought was an ally. It was then that the man, John Paulding, and his compatriots revealed he'd been tricked: "Climb down off your mount," they said. "We are American Patriots!" Thus was Andre captured and hanged.

They say his ghost still haunts the Old Albany Post Road on cold early mornings. "The only way to stop him is to use the words that got him caught," says Kruk. "If you see him, call out, 'What party are ye from?' and that should do it."

Where to go: Head to Patriot's Park in Tarrytown, where Andre was captured by American patriots. There, you'll find a monument to his captors, Paulding and Co. Patriots Park is on Route 9 along the border of Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow.

Ancient Curses

Some say that the "witching power" of the entire area can be attributed to one very poor real estate decision.

Dutch settlers in Sleepy Hollow were eager to plant their wheat in an open field — which happened to be a Native American burial ground. A local Weckquaesgeek chief tried to warn them away from it. "The Dutch settlers ignored warnings and plowed over it," says Kruk. "They considered it a superstition.

In part, that's the spell that Washington Irving mentioned [in 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow']."

The moral of the story is that when a Weckquaesgeek chief tells you not to plant your wheat somewhere, you should probably listen to him, or be prepared for what follows (see aforementioned haunted cemeteries, rocks, etc.).

Where to go: The location of the burial ground is up for debate; some believe it was located in what is now the abandoned GM plant in Sleepy Hollow, while others say it's where Philipse Manor Metro-North station stands.

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