Noroton in Darien in Western Region, Connecticut — The American Northeast (New England)
David Bushnell
America 250 | Connecticut
In 1776, the Continental Army deployed an underwater vessel designed by David Bushnell. "The Turtle" was the first submarine used in military combat.
Bushnell was born in 1749 in Saybrook, CT (today's Westbrook). He became interested in science and, while a student at Yale, he experimented with building a submarine that could deliver explosives underwater. In April 1775, the outbreak of war at Lexington and Concord led the school to close; Bushnell returned home and continued to work on the invention with his brother Ezra. They soon completed a working model - which came to be known as the Turtle - and the Continental Army launched it in New York Harbor in September 7, 1776.
The submarine failed in its first mission. Nonetheless, the Turtle heralded a major innovation in military technology. Reflecting later on the invention in a letter to Thomas Jefferson, George Washington wrote, "Bushnell is a man of great mechanical powers, fertile of invention and master of execution…I then thought, and still think that [the submarine] was an effort of genius."
F. M. Barber, a Navy Lieutenant, published this diagram of "Bushnell's submarine boat" in 1875.
Erected by Design
this page online
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: War, US Revolutionary • Waterways & Vessels. In addition, it is included in the America 250 series list. A significant historical month for this entry is April 1775.
Location. 41° 4.075′ N, 73° 30.257′ W. Marker is in Darien in Western Region, Connecticut. It is in Noroton. It can be reached from Connecticut Turnpike (Interstate 95) west of Norton Avenue, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Darien CT 06820, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is on the Connecticut Shoreline and in Greater Bridgeport. It is also in the American Northeast, in New England, and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once Fairfield County and also one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers
Credits. This page was last revised on September 23, 2026. It was originally submitted on September 23, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 6 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on September 23, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
