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Town To Seek Grants for Bushnell House Renovations

Town Hall and the Westbrook Historical Society are working on applying for grants to fix up the David Bushnell House. A future use for the building still needs to be approved.

With a construction date of 1678, the David Bushnell house located at 121 South Main Street is one of the oldest homes in Connecticut. In 2022, First Selectmen John Hall announced that Leighton Lee III, the previous owner of the house, was willing to give the historic building to the Town. Voters unanimously approved the acquisition of the David Bushnell House for a cost of $1 in early 2023.

Since then, the Town has worked to find a new use for the property. Last month, Hall announced that the Town and the historical society had met with grant writers to look into what grants could be applied for to fix up the property.

Marcy Fuller, president of the Westbrook Historical Society, told the Harbor News that the grants would be used to fix the roof, a carriage door, and the fireplace. Fuller said that some trees and bushes on the property would also be trimmed to reduce moisture.

“There’s some other smaller projects we’re looking at too, but those are the big ones,” Fuller said. Fuller said that the Westbrook Foundation gives out grants in April.

When the Town acquired the house, the idea of using it to house the historical society was floated, but Fuller said no decision has been made yet. Fuller noted any decision on what to do with the house would need to be made at a town meeting.

The Bushnell House has a long history in town. Fuller explained in 2022 that the house was built by Captain Samuel Bushnell, the father of David Bushnell, the inventor of the submarine. However, David never lived in the house – he was born in Westbrook in 1740 but grew up on a farm near the intersection of Essex and McVeagh roads.

Instead, Fuller explained that in 1922, the Society of Dependents of Westbrook Settlers, a since disbanded organization, gained control of the property and dedicated the house to the memory of David Bushnell. In the early 2000s, the house was turned into a Museum of Early Engineering Technology.