• Westbrook Connecticut Holiday Ornament, Bushnell's Turtle, Crystal Glass Ornament Hanging on a Christmas Tree
  • Westbrook Connecticut Holiday Ornament, Bushnell's Turtle, Crystal Glass Ornament Hanging on White
  • Westbrook Connecticut Holiday Ornament, Bushnell's Turtle, Crystal Glass Ornament in Gold Gift Box
  • Westbrook Connecticut Holiday Ornament, Bushnell's Turtle, Crystal Glass Ornament in White Gift Box
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Westbrook Connecticut Holiday Ornament - Bushnell's Turtle

Westbrook Connecticut Holiday Ornament - Bushnell's Turtle

$28.00 USD
$28.00 USD
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An egg-shaped wooden submarine with iron bands, a brass hatch and a hand-cranked propeller, floating low in a tidal river, 1776 on a plate and a wreath on the hatch. The first submarine ever used in war was built here.

David Bushnell built the Turtle on the Connecticut shore in 1775, a one-man wooden hull that could sink, creep under a ship by hand crank and screw a charge to its hull. In September 1776 it went under a British warship in New York Harbor. The screw hit iron and the charge drifted off, but the idea was proven, and submarines have been chasing it since.

The village where he built it was Saybrook then and is Westbrook now. There is a replica, a monument, and a town that is quietly proud of having invented the most secret weapon there is.

A weapon that failed on its first night and changed naval warfare anyway is a very New England kind of success. The wreath on the hatch is the holiday touch.

David Bushnell built the Turtle submarine, the first submarine used in war, on the Connecticut shore in 1775. The Bushnell Turtle is Westbrook CT's place in Connecticut history and in revolutionary war submarine history. This submarine ornament is a Westbrook Christmas ornament and Connecticut ornament for the tree.

Every Westbrook ornament ships ready to give. Hang it on the tree, in a window, off a lamp, or send one to the person who misses Westbrook most.

3-inch faceted crystal glass ornament, white-backed print, line-drawn in 1880s engraving style, your choice of white or gold gift box.


QUICK FACTS — WESTBROOK CT CRYSTAL ORNAMENT — BUSHNELL'S TURTLE

Town: Westbrook, Connecticut

Founded: Settled c.1648; incorporated 1840

Known for: Birthplace of David Bushnell’s Turtle, the first combat submarine (1775); salt marshes and four miles of Sound shoreline

Art: Bushnell's Turtle, 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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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 town itself is older than its famous invention. Algonquian peoples lived along this shore long before European settlement; around 1648 the area was settled as the "Oyster River Quarter" of the Saybrook Colony — the seed colony from which a cluster of Connecticut towns grew. The West Parish formed its own church in 1724, the place was renamed Westbrook in 1810, and in 1840 it was incorporated as a separate town. The "Oyster River" name says it plainly: this has always been a shoreline town.

The Turtle's one combat mission is a story of its own. Bushnell's brother Ezra trained for months as its pilot, then fell ill on the eve of the operation; Sergeant Ezra Lee of Old Lyme took the crank instead. Built and tested in secrecy on the Connecticut River, the Turtle was carried overland and by water to the war. On a September night in 1776, Lee steered the little craft beneath New York Harbor toward HMS Eagle, the British flagship, in history's first submarine attack. The mine never attached — but the concept was proven, and the age of undersea warfare had quietly begun. Benjamin Franklin was among those who took note of Bushnell's trials, and George Washington later judged the work "an effort of genius."

Why People Visit Westbrook

Westbrook offers quiet shoreline New England with a remarkable story beneath it. Visitors come for the beaches, the marsh and harbor, the historic town center, and the distinction of standing in the birthplace of the submarine. It's low-key, scenic, and steeped in Long Island Sound maritime heritage.

Westbrook Connecticut Merlin Classics retro vintage logo featuring an oyster shell over Connecticut Est. 1636