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Froggy’s: Architectural Recycling Center
Customers found the entrance to Froggy Bottoms, at 305 South Water Street, still in its original configuration, with 8 foot high doors and the same steel circular staircase installed by Gene Jasnoch in 1981. However, decorative frog and lion ironwork was added, along with a pacifistic St. Olaf lion, sans his war ax. Visitors can use a handicapped-accessible West Bank River Walk entrance on the north side which sports a coat of arms diplomatically combining the Carleton College knight and the St. Olaf lion. The 30-foot bar welcomes all customers, including ghosts who once frequented other pubs. The mahogany front bar top came from the Monterey Club, now called the Jungle, a few miles south of Owatonna. The back bar used to be in the Persian Palms, a sleazy strip club on Washington Avenue in Minneapolis. The walnut face of the front bar came from the old Northfield National Bank, salvaged by Jack Tripp, who found it lying on Division Street when the bank was torn down in 1963. The divisions for the teller stations can still be seen.
Two pillars at either end of the bar were salvaged from Ytterboe Hall, a much beloved St. Olaf dormitory which was demolished in 1996. (Sentimental Oles, take note. ) The booths of the main room were salvaged from a defunct Bridge Square Restaurant called Paulina’s. The tables and chairs are from the state schools in Faribault. There is also a mirror from the original Tiny’s pool hall, which once stood across the street from its present location on Division Street. The booths of the adjacent private party room came from the old Ideal Café in downtown Northfield which Froggy Bottoms chef Pat Kleeberger once owned. The tables were built by Bill Peterson and Ed Seiler from booths from the Monterey Ballroom.
The fireplace was constructed with stone salvaged by the Demons of Deconstruction from Dow Hall at the Minnesota State Academy for the Blind in Faribault. The two stone pillars on the face of the fireplace were discovered in a crawl space under the old Ytterboe Hall. The Viking head perched on top of the fireplace was found on the roof of a building in Faribault. Bill Peterson gave it an acid wash to bring out its distinctive visage.
Credit goes to John “Frenchy” Jacob for the flower arrangements on all three levels of the river decks and for the sidewalk flowers as well. “Frenchy,“ who is actually from Germany, is also the architect of the fountain and garden on the back patio deck overlooking the river. In the summer of 2005 a duck chose this location for a nest and in due time 10 ducklings were swarming over Frenchy’s garden, sampling his plantings. Mother Duck returned in the spring of 2006 to hatch 15 more ducklings. It seems everyone appreciates the hospitality at Froggy Bottoms.
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