• Branford Connecticut Holiday Ornament, Thimble Islands, View 1
  • Branford Connecticut Holiday Ornament, Thimble Islands, View 2
  • Branford Connecticut Holiday Ornament, Thimble Islands, View 3
  • Branford Connecticut Holiday Ornament, Thimble Islands, View 4
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Branford Connecticut Holiday Ornament - Thimble Islands

Branford Connecticut Holiday Ornament - Thimble Islands

$28.00 USD
$28.00 USD
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Thimble Islands. A scatter of rock in Long Island Sound, each island barely bigger than the house standing on it, each house reached only by boat. There are said to be more than three hundred of them, and the count depends on how generous you are about what counts as an island.

The granite came first. Stony Creek quarries cut the distinctive pink stone that went into the base of the Statue of Liberty and the piers of the Brooklyn Bridge, and the quarry trade built the village that now serves as the islands' mainland. By the late 1800s the archipelago had become a summer colony - single-cottage islands, mail by boat, no bridges, no cars. It has stayed that way. The excursion boats still thread the channels every summer, and the guides still point out which island once hosted which visiting president.

What is remarkable is how little has changed in a hundred and fifty years. On a shoreline where nearly every other stretch has been developed, subdivided, and developed again, the Thimbles remain what they were: one house, one rock, one boat, and weather.

For anyone who has taken the boat out, rented a cottage, or simply watched the islands from the Stony Creek dock. Small, quiet, and instantly recognizable to those who know it.

Below are excerpts from our Branford history page. The Branford town logo and the full town story are available through the collection link above.

Printed on a three-inch faceted crystal glass round, white-backed so the fine island detail and the single red roof hold up against tree lights. The faceted edge catches light from every angle. Arrives boxed - your choice of white or gold gift box at checkout.

3-inch (76 mm) round crystal glass ornament · faceted gem-cut edge · white-backed print for crisp contrast · red ribbon hanger · your choice of white or gold gift box, included · free U.S. shipping.


QUICK FACTS — BRANFORD CT CRYSTAL ORNAMENT — THIMBLE ISLANDS

Town: Branford, Connecticut

Founded: 1644

Known for: Where Yale’s founding books were given (1701); the Thimble Islands; Stony Creek pink granite; the Blackstone Library

Art: Thimble Islands, original Merlin Classics engraving

Blank: 3-inch (76 mm) round clear crystal glass ornament, faceted gem-cut edge

Print: white-backed for contrast; red ribbon hanger

Packaging: white or gold gift box, chosen at checkout

Made to order in the USA



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Wear Local. Feed Local. Stay Classic.

Product FAQs

How does your sizing work?

Every item is made to order, so please check the size chart on this page before you buy. Women's fitted tees run small; size up for a looser fit. Caps are one size with an adjustable strap.

How are items made and when will they arrive?

We make each item to order using premium blanks, embroidery and soft-hand prints. Production takes 2-5 business days (weekends and holidays excluded), then 4-10 days in transit via USPS, UPS or FedEx to U.S. addresses; most orders arrive within 6-15 business days. You'll get a tracking link the moment it ships. Any current shipping offer is shown in the bar at the top of every page and applies automatically at checkout, no code needed.

How do I send a gift?

Enter the recipient's address as the shipping address and your own as the billing address at checkout. Nothing ships with a price; the package includes a plain packing slip. Tracking goes to your email, not theirs. For birthdays and holidays, order two weeks ahead to be safe.

What's the return policy?

Made-to-order items can't be returned or exchanged for size or color, so please use the size chart and photos before ordering. If anything arrives defective, misprinted or damaged, send a photo and your order number within 30 days and we'll replace it or refund you.

How do I care for my item?

Apparel: wash cold, inside out, with like colors; no bleach; tumble dry low or hang dry. Embroidered pieces: iron inside out to protect the stitching. Caps: spot clean. Printed glasses and water bottles: hand wash only, no dishwasher, so the artwork lasts. Mugs and engraved glasses are dishwasher safe. Any item-specific care notes are in the description above.

Who makes this?

Merlin Classics is a small Connecticut brand making original retro designs for the towns people love. Every piece is printed, embroidered or engraved to order in the USA, and the business supports hunger relief in the communities our collections celebrate.

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The islands carry the town's best story. By long local legend, the privateer Captain William Kidd hid gold among the Thimbles before his capture in 1701 — names like Money Island and Kidd's Cove still nod to the tale, though no treasure has ever turned up. Most of the islets are private homes now, their cottages perched on bare pink rock, and the best way to see them is from one of the tour boats that thread out of Stony Creek harbor on a summer afternoon.

It has a quieter claim to fame, too: Branford calls itself the birthplace of Yale. In 1701, a group of Connecticut ministers gathered at the Branford home of the Reverend Samuel Russell and gave their books ‘for the founding of a college.’ That collegiate school grew into Yale University, and a monument in town marks the spot. It is a small place that helped start a very large institution.

Why People Visit Branford

Branford blends village greens with island-dotted coves. Visitors mix easy boat rides with libraries, beaches, and shoreline paths, all on Long Island Sound. It is peaceful, nautical, and neighborly, with year-round appeal in its parks, paths, and public spaces. Colonial shoreline history and everyday Connecticut life sit side by side here in a welcoming way, from the Town Green to the granite docks at Stony Creek.

Branford Connecticut Merlin Classics retro logo — Connecticut oyster, Connecticut Est. 1636