It was an exciting evening on June 5th at Warner Library when, surrounded by family, teachers and friends, Sleepy Hollow High School sophomores Gabrielle Cellante and Olesya Bylim were honored at the Hall of Fame Essay Contest Awards Ceremony.

The Hall of Fame project began six years ago when a committee, made up of members from each of the organizations involved, decided to honor the accomplishments of past residents with an essay contest.

Olesya Bylim of Tarrytown and Gabrielle Cellante of Sleepy Hollow.

The Villages of Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow became involved and have generously provided the cash prizes that are awarded to the two winning essays.

Gabrielle Cellante wrote about General Harold Carroll who built the Castle on Benedict Avenue, where he "hosted the admirals of the German, French and English fleets and their officers" at the 1909 Hudson Fulton Celebration. Olesya Bylim's essay celebrates William Wallace, who is "remembered for his philanthropic work, which included the building of the Music Hall." These two individuals will join past Hall of Fame inductees, Washington Irving, John D. Rockefeller, Jr., Amanda Foster and Frank Romer Pierson.

The annual contest encourages an understanding and appreciation of local history as students gather historical facts and stories from various resources at the Warner Library and the archives at the Historical Society. The winning entries are added to "The Hall of Fame" on display at the Library. In all, some 67 compositions were read and screened by volunteers from The Historical Society and the Hudson Valley Writers' Center. The entries were judged on originality, composition and historical accuracy.

You can read the winning essays at www.warnerlibrary.org.