History Book Authors Visit Pleasantville Bookstore

The rivertowns of Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow are inextricably linked to each other through history and lore. And who better to chronicle this history than Mary Ann Marshall and Sara Mascia? Marshall, a Sleepy Hollow resident, has been a long time volunteer and officer at the Historical Society serving Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow and works part-time at the Warner Library. Tarrytowner Mascia, a curator and administrator at the Historical Society, is also a professional historical archaeologist.

The two women joined forces recently to produce the volume Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow in the 20th Century. Using archival photographs from the Historical Society, photos that they have been collecting since 1889, Marshall and Mascia have produced a decade by decade glimpse of the people, places and events that have shaped the two villages' last one hundred years and helped create the vibrant communities they are now.

At a recent book signing at the in Pleasantville, the two women chatted with shop owners Yvonne vanCort and Roy Solomon about what it took to produce the book.

According to Mascia, “The Society has over 10,000 photographs in its archives. It was a gargantuan task to review all of these images and decide on the 223 that eventually appeared in the book.”

Added Marshall, “We settled on ten chapter topics, each showing a different aspect of life in the villages. Business, fashion, schools and politics–and of course the Tappan Zee Bridge–are some of the topics we covered. Each chapter progresses chronologically from the beginning of the century right up until a very recent time.”

“We wanted to show something from each decade.” said Mascia. “People’s reactions have been great. They say ‘Yes, that must be the 1970s. I had those same bell bottoms!’”

Marshall is exceptionally fond of the cover photo that depicts Girl Scouts and Brownies marching in the Memorial Day parade in 1952.

“I showed an early copy of the book to a woman in my exercise class and she exclaimed ‘That’s my Brownie troop!" Marshall revealed.

The authors noted all the profits from sales of the book will go to the Historical Society. Besides the Village Bookstore, Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow in the 20th Century is available for purchase at Whimsies Incognito and Walgreens in Tarrytown as well several chain bookstores.

See for more information about the new book.