The Willowbrook Estate, adjacent to Washington Irving’s Sunnyside east border, includes foundations of several buildings, such as the ruins of this greenhouse/gardener’s cottage. The estate is one of the oldest in the area, dating back to the first house built there in 1815. The house was doubled in size by former New York City Mayor Ambrose C. Kingsland, who later built a mansion at what is now Kingsland Point Park in Sleepy Hollow. A later owner was Edward S. Jaffray, who tried to dam the Sunnyside Brook for his own plumbing system, much to the consternation of Washington Irving and a flock of ducks who lived in his pond. The house was most likely razed in the 1960s/1970s.
March, 1995
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