Why stop here
A beloved painted boulder landmark created by high school graduates in 1971, located at 14607 Phelps Rd NE. This glacial erratic rock formation represents Bainbridge Island's creative community spirit and whimsical character. Originally painted by Bob Green and Ellen Barnes on June 6, 1971, as part of the local "Paint Night" tradition, with a companion Ladybug Rock added about a year later, around 1972.
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The long version
Frog Rock stands as one of Bainbridge Island’s most cherished landmarks, embodying the island’s creative spirit and community connections. This painted boulder formation at the intersection of Phelps Road and North Madison Avenue tells a remarkable story of how teenage creativity can evolve into a generational tradition.
Originally a large granite glacial erratic left by ancient glaciers, the boulder was dynamited around 1940 for development purposes. Instead of shattering, it split cleanly in half. In the 1950s, a workman stacked one half atop the other, creating the distinctive formation known as “Split Rock.”
The transformation occurred on June 6, 1971, when high school graduates Robert Green and Ellen Barnes painted the stacked rocks to resemble a frog during “Paint Night” - a beloved local graduation tradition. Working by car headlights and flashlights in the middle of the night, they created what would become Frog Rock. About a year later, around 1972, the couple returned to paint a smaller companion rock as a ladybug.
Frog Rock has become integral to island life, serving as:
The Dahl family, current property owners, maintains the rock with community help, while Bob and Ellen Green continue touching up their creation decades later. Frog Rock demonstrates how grassroots public art can create lasting community identity, representing the island’s values of creativity, whimsy, and intergenerational connection.
This simple act of teenage expression has become a symbol of Bainbridge Island’s unique character - a place where community spirit and artistic creativity flourish together.
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