Description
The memorial sits on a small triangle of land at the southwest corner of the junction, which marks the northern end of Irvington. Sunnyside Creek, a small tributary of the nearby Hudson River, flows through a culvert underneath and lends a sloping, wooded character to the land behind the memorial.
It consists of three parts: a tall central panel 10 feet (3 m) high and eight feet (2 m ) wide, bronze sculptures of two of Irving's characters, Rip Van Winkle and King Boabdil, flanking a bust of the author on a six-foot (2 m) pedestal. Curved wing walls four feet (1 m) high and twelve feet (4 m) long come out on either side, further extended by ten feet (3 m) of wrought iron fencing. All the stone is pink Vermont granite with dark veins. An inscription carved in the center memorializes Irving's multiple careers, and identifies the two characters depicted at his sides.
In front of the panel are several square stone piers intended to support benches that were never built. Two were added later at the sides. The surface of the memorial area was once flagstone; today most of it has been replaced in concrete. Piers at the north end were built for a gate and path to the brook that was never built.
Read more about this topic: Washington Irving Memorial
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