The village of Tarrytown and the neighboring villages of Irvington and Sleepy Hollow were settled by the Dutch during the mid-1600s. The name Tarrytown was taken from the Dutch word "Tarwe," meaning wheat. Here, on September 23, 1780, the British spy Major John André was captured while carrying the detailed plans for West Point given to him by Benedict Arnold. The village and the area were made famous by the writings of Washington Irving, particularly The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, from which this region takes its name.