Irvington is located in the southwestern part of Westchester County, New York; with Irvington sharing a border with the Hudson River. Starting in the 1850s, and largely due to Irvington's beautiful views of the Hudson River and its rural setting, many people, including wealthy New York City residents, began building large summer residences.

History of Irvington
The Village of Irvington was incorporated April 16, 1872. The territory of the village was part of the Bissightick track of the Van der Donck grant purchased by Frederick Phillipse in 1682. In 1817, Justice Dearman bought half of William Dutcher's farm and lived there until 1848 when it was sold to Gustavo F. Sanchi. In the same year, it was sold to John Jay, grandson of Justice John Jay, who arranged for it to be laid out in lots as the Village of Dearman. The lots were sold at public auction in New York City in 1850; the village of "Dearman" was formed. In 1854, "Dearman", by popular vote, changed its name to "Irvington," honoring its beloved citizen, Washington Irvington, author of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and "Rip Van Winkle". Works by Louis Comfort Tiffany, who also lived here, can be seen in the town hall, library and the Irvington Presbyterian Church.

Irvington
"Irvington, 50.8 m. (175 alt., 2,759 pop.), named for Washington Irving, is another metropolitan suburb ringed by wooded estates. Near the northern end of the village is (R) the Anna E. Poth Home for convalescent and aged members of the Companions of the Forest of America. The ornate brick mansion, hidden by a wall, was built in 1918 by Mrs. C. J. Walker (1867-1919), a pioneer Negro businesswoman. About 1905, when Mrs. Walker was a laundress in St. Louis, Missouri, she concocted a preparation to straighten tightly curled hair that revolutionized the appearance of members of her race. In 1910, she settled in Indianapolis, Indiana, where she established the Mme. C. J. Walker factory and laboratories for the manufacture of various cosmetics, and opened a training school for her agents and beauty culturists. Here interests were wide; in time her sales agents were acting as organizers of social welfare clubs and were carrying on educational propaganda of all kinds among Negroes. She eventually moved to New York and as 'Madame C. J. Walker of New York and Paris' became a leader in Harlem activities. A year after this house had been completed she died, leaving an estate worth more than $1,000,000, two-thirds of which went to educational institutions and charities. The house still contains here ivory-and-gold pipe organ, her tapestries, and some of her imported gold and ivory furniture.

"From a point just south of the Anna E. Poth Home can be seen on the hilltop (L) The Castle, another baronial estate designed by Alexander J. Davis in 1859 for John T. Herrick, wealthy flour merchant. The rough, rock-face stone, quarried on the site, is an interesting contrast to the smooth marble of Lyndhurst, built 19 years earlier. The 65-foot tower commands magnificent vistas up Tappan Zee.

"Odell Inn (R), just south of the Main St. traffic booth, built about 1693, is now the superintendent's cottage of the Murray estate. When the Albany Post Road was opened in 1723, the one-and-a-half-story stone dwelling became a favorite stage stop. On August 31, 1776, the Committee of Safety of the State Convention met in the inn, then occupied by Jonathan Odell. Two months later the British took vengeance on Odell by destroying 1,000 bushels of his wheat, killing his hogs, cutting down his orchard, and carrying him off to a New York prison. In 1785 Odell bought the house and 463 acres from the Commissioners of Forfeiture, keeping the inn until his death in 1818."

About Irvington
There are many things to do in and around Irvington. Learn about activities, attractions, things to do and great places to go on the weekend around the Village of Irvington. Take the children to the playground at the lovely Matthiessen Park in Irvington. Picnic at the park while looking out at the majestic Hudson River with views of the Tappan Zee Bridge in the background. If you're a golfer be sure to play golf at one of the excellent golf courses in Ardsley-on-Hudson or other nearby towns; or visit the antique stores in Irvington, When its time to eat, select a cafe or fine dining from the excellent restaurants in Irvington.