Washington Irving

Named after George Washington, Washington Irving was born just as the city learned of the ceasefire that ended the Revolution. His only real interest was writing, and he was lucky enough to have a family that was wealthy enough to support his dreams. They sent him to Europe for two years in 1802, for the first of several extended visits that ended up consuming almost a third of his life. The family business failed after the War of 1812, and Irving turned to his pen to support himself, writing both “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” and “Rip Van Winkle.” Concerned about copyright infringement, Irving published many of his works simultaneously in England and the US. After serving as Minister to Spain in the 1840′s he retired home to Sunnyside, where he spent the rest of his life. He was the first American author with an international reputation.