The village incorporated as North Tarrytown in 1874 and took the name Sleepy Hollow in 1996, the same year the General Motors assembly plant on the river closed. That site is now being redeveloped as Edge-on-Hudson. Washington Irving's story brings tens of thousands of visitors every fall, but most of the village is ordinary residential streets on hilly ground, cut by the Pocantico River and Andre Brook.
Hills mean exposure. Houses on the slopes over the Hudson take wind off the river, while homes down in the Pocantico valley sit under mature trees. Both affect roofs, in different ways. Add Westchester's 25 to 50 inches of yearly snow and the result is a village where the same shingle can last very different lengths of time depending on the street.
Victorian village streets and two planned manors
The older village around Beekman Avenue has Victorian and Italianate houses alongside garden apartments. To the north are two planned neighborhoods: Philipse Manor, built in the 1900s and 1910s, and Sleepy Hollow Manor, from the 1920s and 1930s.
Victorian and Italianate roofs mix steep main slopes with low porch roofs and built-in details. The Manor homes are newer, but at roughly a hundred years old they have often been re-roofed more than once.
What to plan for on a Sleepy Hollow roof
Shingle and membrane on one house
Italianate houses often have shallow main roofs or low-slope sections behind cornices, and Victorian porches tend to sit at low pitch. Asphalt shingles need at least 2:12, with double underlayment up to 4:12, so many of these houses need shingles on the steep planes and a membrane on the shallow ones. Built-in gutters behind cornices need careful relining and should be checked for rot.
Philipse Manor decks and attics
Houses from the 1900s through the 1930s were built with board sheathing and attics that were never designed for modern ventilation. During tear-off Jersey Roofing's crew checks every board and replaces those that are split or soft. The crew also adds balanced intake and ridge exhaust where possible, which helps reduce ice dams and keeps the new shingles within the manufacturer's warranty requirements.
River wind on the high slopes
Houses on the hillsides facing the Hudson get open wind exposure. On those roofs Jersey Roofing installs the full enhanced-wind system, with starter strips at both eaves and rakes and matching hip and ridge caps, from GAF or Owens Corning. The Owens Corning Duration combination qualifies for a 160 mph enhanced wind warranty.
Historic districts and design review
Sleepy Hollow is home to three National Historic Landmarks: Philipsburg Manor House, the Old Dutch Church and Sleepy Hollow Cemetery. The village Board of Architectural Review covers exterior alterations, but its code exempts single- and two-family homes, so most residential roof replacements do not go before the board. A building permit is still required, and multifamily or commercial buildings may need review.
Roof permits in Sleepy Hollow
- Office
- Village of Sleepy Hollow Building Department
- Phone
- (914) 366-5124
- Website
- sleepyhollowny.gov
The village issues permits from 28 Beekman Avenue, and Jersey Roofing files the roofing permit for you.
The roof systems installed in Sleepy Hollow
Jersey Roofing installs complete GAF and Owens Corning systems: ice and water barrier at the eaves and valleys, synthetic underlayment, starter strips, architectural or designer shingles, matched ridge cap and balanced ventilation. On a qualifying GAF system it can register the Golden Pledge® warranty, and on an Owens Corning system, Platinum Protection. Both include lifetime workmanship coverage. Compare the warranties.
Neighborhoods we serve in and around Sleepy Hollow
- Philipse Manor
- Sleepy Hollow Manor
- Beekman Avenue
- Edge-on-Hudson