Background
He was born in Flatbush, Brooklyn, New York and died at his sizable home, "Wolfert"s Roost" (or "Wolfert"s Rest") near the site of what is now Irvington, New York in Westchester County, New New York
He was born in Flatbush, Brooklyn, New York and died at his sizable home, "Wolfert"s Roost" (or "Wolfert"s Rest") near the site of what is now Irvington, New York in Westchester County, New New York
His name was recorded in all combinations of Wolfert or Wolvert as given name, and Acker, Echert, Eckar, or Ecker as surname. Acker served the Dutch colonial government as collector of Philipsburg Manor in New Netherlands. William Owens believes that, despite his high status, Wolfert may have been a tenant of Philipse Tenant or not.
Wolfert did have the second largest house in the region, second only to Philipse Manor Hall, which still stands.
January Ecker, Wolfert"s brother, was the first deacon of the Old Dutch Church of Sleepy Hollow, which was founded by Philipse, and was still living in May 1716. Wolfert Acker became the second deacon and later, an Elder.
Abraham"s connection to the Van Tassel family is cited in "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow", and it was through their association with a rebellious Van Tassel scion during the revolutionary period that the Ackers lost Wolfert"s Roost. Wolfert"s property was passed along in his family for some time, but was eventually broken up and sold official
One person who bought his land was Washington Irving who took an existing structure and made it into his romantic Sunnyside out of lieutenant
Eckar Street in Irvington, New York is named for him.
He was a quiet man whose favorite phrase was "Rust in Lust" (peace in quiet) but always found himself working for very loud and active governors. He was, at one point, privy counsellor to Peter Stuyvesant, before eventually retiring to Wolfert"s Roost.
