About Sleepy Hollow

Sleepy Hollow is a census-designated place in Marin County, California. It is located 7 miles (11 km) south of downtown Novato, at an elevation of 177 feet (54 m). Its population as of the 2010 census is 2,384.

Sleepy Hollow is located near San Anselmo, California, located outside the northern town limits. The Terra Linda district of San Rafael lies to the east. Butterfield Road is Sleepy Hollow's main street, which can be accessed from Sir Francis Drake Boulevard, a major east-west road in Marin County. The community is in ZIP code 94960 and area code 415.

In 1838, Domingo Sais received a land grant from General Mariano Vallejo known as Canada de Herrera, which consisted of 6,659 acres covering what is now Sleepy Hollow, Fairfax and segments of San Anselmo. In the 1850s, Sais leased the majority of the land that is now Sleepy Hollow to Harvey Butterfield. Butterfield started a dairy farm on the land and the long, winding 2-mile trail that is still to this day the only way in and out of the inclusive community, became known as "Butterfield\'s Road." The next person to acquire the land was a man named Peter Austin who was responsible for planting the multitude of poplar and eucalyptus trees that now line the road. Due to foreclosure, Austin was forced to sell the land to the Hotaling\'s, a wealthy family from San Francisco. The Hotaling\'s built a lavish mansion at the end of the 2-mile road, and named it "Sleepy Hollow", in honor of their favorite author and friend, Washington Irving\'s famous ghost tale. The Hotaling\'s would throw many elaborate parties for hundreds of guests, but soon left the mansion and returned to San Francisco. The next owner of the mansion was Sigmund Herzog who founded a dairy farm on the property. Later a Chicago syndicate bought the land and attempted to create a luxury hotel complete with golf course, pool, and private man-made lake, but this idea quickly fell through due to the stock market crash prior to The Great Depression.

In the 1930s, Sleepy Hollow boasted the western United States\' only "play as you go" 18-hole golf course that became the second largest in the country. In 1939, the land was given to the U.S. Army in order to secretly store ammunition for WWII until the war was over. In 1946, A.G. Raisch bought the mansion and an additional 500 acres. Following the tradition, Raisch threw many luxurious parties for hundreds of guests. He eventually left the estate and it remained unoccupied for several years until it spontaneously caught on fire. The majority of the house burned down, leaving only a wall and a set of steps that still stand today.

Sleepy Hollow became a residential area due to the opening of a real estate company shortly after WWII. In 1966 the Dominican Order of the Catholic Church bought the "Sleepy Hollow" mansion and opened the San Domenico School for Girls. Presently, San Domenico School is a private, co-ed K-8 day school, with a girls high school for day and boarding students.