Which American Gothic writer authored 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow'?

Washington Irving authored “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” an American Gothic short story first published in 1820. It follows the superstitious schoolmaster Ichabod Crane and his terrifying encounter with the legendary Headless Horseman.

Irving included the tale in *The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent.*, a collection that also contained “Rip Van Winkle.” He wrote the story while living in Birmingham, England, drawing on Dutch-American folklore, local traditions, and the Hudson River Valley landscape associated with his New York childhood.

Although often called a Gothic novel in casual trivia, “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” is technically a short story. The real Sleepy Hollow area was then known as North Tarrytown; the community officially adopted the name Sleepy Hollow in 1996. Another common mix-up is confusing Irving with Edgar Allan Poe, whose Gothic tales include “The Fall of the House of Usher” and “The Tell-Tale Heart.”