Bainbridge Island’s Frog Rock to be Added to Washington (State’s) Heritage Register!

Special to The Island Wanderer

Beloved 1971 landmark receives state recognition as its story continues on the regional film festival circuit

Frog Rock, the whimsical roadside landmark that has delighted generations of Bainbridge Islanders and visitors since 1971, has been officially approved for inclusion on the Washington Heritage Register.

The Washington State Advisory Council on Historic Preservation voted unanimously on September 15 to approve Frog Rock’s nomination, formally recognizing a piece of Bainbridge Island history that began 55 years ago when Bob and Ellen Green transformed an ordinary roadside boulder into the giant green frog that has since become an Island icon.

Frog Rock was created by the Greens during a spontaneous “paint night” in 1971. The neighboring Ladybug was added soon afterward, and the pair have remained familiar figures along Phelps Road for more than half a century.

The successful nomination was submitted by Bainbridge Frog Rock steward Denise Stoughton, who has worked with the Greens to document, preserve and share the landmark’s history.

“Frog Rock began with Bob and Ellen doing something joyful and completely spontaneous in 1971, and somehow that joy has lasted for 55 years,” said Stoughton. “Generations of people have grown up with Frog Rock, brought their children to see it, taken photographs there and shared their own memories of it. Having the State of Washington recognize that history feels incredibly meaningful.”

The state recognition comes during a remarkable period of renewed attention to Frog Rock and its history, including a documentary that has been bringing its story to audiences throughout the region.

The Story of Frog Rock, a nine-minute documentary directed by Howard Brock and produced by Stoughton, was recently shown at the Poulsbo Film Festival on October 10 as part of the festival’s Documentary Block.

The film tells the story of Frog Rock through the memories of its creators and chronicles how a spontaneous act of creativity became an enduring part of Bainbridge Island’s landscape and community life.

The Greens, Brock and Stoughton attended the Poulsbo screening and participate in a Q&A following the film.  The Poulsbo appearance continues the documentary’s 2026 regional festival run, bringing the story of one of Bainbridge Island’s most recognizable landmarks to another local audience just weeks after its official state heritage recognition.

For more information about Frog Rock, its history and The Story of Frog Rock, visit bainbridgefrogrock.com.

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