The Frog Bridge (officially known as the Thread City Crossing) is a bridge located in

Willimantic, Connecticut Willimantic is a city located in the town of Windham, Connecticut, Windham in Windham County, Connecticut, United States. It is a former Census-designated place and Borough (Connecticut), borough, and is currently organized as one of two Local gov ...

which carries South Street ( CT 661) across the

Willimantic River The Willimantic River is a tributary of the Shetucket River, approximately 25 mi (40 km) long in northeastern Connecticut in the New England region of the United States. It is formed in northern Tolland County, near Stafford Springs b ...

. It is known as the Frog Bridge because it has four copper frog sculptures on each end of the bridge, sitting on concrete thread spools. The sculptures were designed and created by artist Leo Jensen of

Ivoryton, Connecticut Ivoryton is one of three villages in Essex, Connecticut in Middlesex County. Ivoryton Historic District, the historic district in the village, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 15, 2014.

Naming

The design of the bridge relates to the local story of the "

Battle of the Frogs The Battle of the Frogs was a frog-related incident in the Connecticut Colony town of Windham, Connecticut, Windham in 1754. On a summer night in June or July, the people of Windham were awakened by a mysterious loud noise whose source they cou ...

". In 1754, thousands of bullfrogs in Frog Pond, about a mile east of Windham Center, awoke residents with loud croaking sounds. Many people mistook the sound for war drums or shouted words, and feared it was the French or Indians attacking the small town.

History

Previous bridge

The bridge was built to replace an 1857 stone arch bridge located in the middle of the mill complex. The original bridge was planned to be replaced as early as 1872. Another effort to replace the old bridge was made at the turn of the 20th century, but ended up with a compromise resulting in the

Willimantic Footbridge The Willimantic Footbridge is a pedestrian bridge in the Willimantic section of Windham, Connecticut. Built in 1906, it extends from Main Street southward, across Riverside Drive, railroad tracks, and the Willimantic River, connecting downtown W ...

. The bridge was closed shortly after the opening of the Frog Bridge, remaining closed until October 2006 when it reopened as the Windham Garden on the Bridge, a pedestrian bridge.

Current bridge

In 1986, then-state legislator John Lescoe introduced a bill to fund a feasibility study for a new bridge over the

. The funding was finally approved in 1991. The first design for the bridge just had the spools of thread but after the community did not approve it, an architect was hired from the state who added the frogs. The bridge started construction in March 1999 and it opened in September 2000 but full project for the surrounding area was not completed until the Fall of 2001. In 2002, the FHA awarded the Frog Bridge an honorable mention for Excellence in Highway Design in the category of Historic Preservation. The bridge was built over a man-made waterfall which used to provide power for the

Jillson Mills The Jillson Mills (Officially known as the Willimantic Linen Company Mill Complex) is a mill complex in Willimantic, Connecticut. The mills produced cotton thread throughout the lifespan of the operation of the mill. History The mill was firs ...

Design

The bridge is a simple compression iron arch bridge that crosses the Willimantic River and a railroad line owned by the

New England Central Railroad The New England Central Railroad is a regional railroad in the New England region of the United States. It began operations in 1995, as the successor of the Central Vermont Railway (CV). The company was originally a subsidiary of holding compa ...

. It carries South St. that connects to Route 32 and

Route 66 U.S. Route 66 or U.S. Highway 66 (US 66 or Route 66) was one of the original highways in the United States Numbered Highway System. It was established on November 11, 1926, with road signs erected the following year. The h ...

. It has 8 concrete thread spools, 4 with green-colored copper frogs, the frogs eye's have gold leaf covering it. The four frogs are named Manny, Willy, Windy and Swifty. Outside of the frogs, the bridge is more like a conventional highway bridge.

References

{{Reflist Sculptures of frogs Bridges completed in 2001 Bridges in Windham County, Connecticut Bridges over the Willimantic River 2001 establishments in Connecticut Arch bridges in the United States Steel bridges in the United States Road bridges in Connecticut