Headless Horseman Sculpture, A Commitment To Community And Creativity

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Approximately five years ago Mayor Philip Zegarelli formed a committee of Sleepy Hollow residents to explore the possibility of a larger-than-life sculpture of Ichabod Crane’s desperate attempt to reach safety at the far end of the bridge leading into Sleepy Hollow Cemetery.

Pursued by none other than the Headless Horseman, Ichabod relied on what he’d heard at Katrina Van Tassel’s party — that the Headless Horseman, thought to be the spirit of a decapitated Hessian soldier, lost his power at the end of the bridge. That was not to be the case, and as legend has it, Ichabod and his steed disappeared that night, never to be seen or heard from again.

Through the hard work and dedication of the Legend of Sleepy Hollow Monument Committee — in particular artist Linda Perlmutter and former business executive Elena Malunis, a seventeen-foot high sculpture, depicting the scene of the Headless Horseman, will come to life this October on Halloween. It will stand on a base seven feet long and five feet wide, weigh 35,000 lbs., and be made of layers of Cor-ten steel which, according to Linda Perlmutter, “Will combine the 18th Century legend with 21st Century technology.” The sculpture has been designed and will be by built by the world-renowned company Milgo/ Bufkin. Among its credits is an aluminum plaque placed on the moon to commemorate the efforts of Americans and Russians in space. Lying next to it on the lunar surface is a figure of an astronaut also made of aluminum. Another example of the company’s work closer to home is the immediately identifiable “9” in front of the Solow Building at 9 West 57th Street in Manhattan. The large, red number is fabricated in painted steel.

The actual site for the sculpture will be the grassy and treed island on Route 9 directly opposite the Philipsburg Manor Restoration. The sculpture will face north to the bridge that leads into the cemetery and it will be lit in such a way as to give rise to motion. “We are very excited about this,” Ms. Perlmutter said, and that sentiment was reinforced by Mayor Zegarelli as well. “We feel that the sculpture is a perfect addition to our Village. For what we are getting, it is very reasonably priced. It will cost $170,000 and we already have over $130,000 in commitments from private donors and corporations,” the Mayor commented. Ms. Perlmutter added that anyone wanting to contribute to the sculpture can mail their tax deductible gift to: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow Monument Committee Attn: Village of Sleepy Hollow 28 Beekman Avenue Sleepy Hollow, NY 10591 With this future addition to Sleepy Hollow it has become clear that more and more emphasis is being placed on making the Village a destination for visitors seeking to explore and relive its rich heritage. To this end, Mayor Zegarelli, Ms. Perlmutter, Ms. Malunis and others can be recognized as major contributors to keeping the legend alive.

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