This gothic story by Washington Irving appeared in his collection of essays and short stories titled The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. Along with its companion piece "Rip Van Winkle", "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" is among the earliest examples of American fiction with enduring popularity. The tale is set in 1790 in the countryside around the Dutch settlement of Tarry Town in an isolated glen called Sleepy Hollow.