Kissing Bridge

Kiss and… WTH?
Kissing Bridge at Mill on the River, South Windsor
November 2025

I trust my readers know what “WTH” means. Even you Boomers. C’mon, now.

Of course, none of you could know why I used WTH in my title. Well, it goes something like this:

I go to every Connecticut covered bridge, no matter how ridiculous, take a picture or two, then write about it. I just do, alright?

I, like everyone who lives in the areas of the state formerly known as Hartford and Tolland Counties has been to Mill on the River in South Windsor. A wedding, a shower, a celebration of life, a family dinner… something. We’ve all been there. So, how in the world did I not include this covered pedestrian bridge on my list?! How did I miss it – or worse, ignore it purposely?!

WTH?!

I hadn’t been to Mill on the River in years, but attended a Celebration of Life there and was confronted with my affront to the bridge. And, quite frankly, my affront to you all, and especially those readers who are superfans of South Windsor and/or covered bridges.

I’ll make it up to you with some local mill history:

Podunk Mill dates back more than 200 years in South Windsor’s History.

It’s original dam, built by Colonists and Indians, is the oldest in Connecticut. The first mill was destroyed by a huge flood in 1750. In 1775, the mill was rebuilt by Joseph Rockwell. Corn, buckwheat, and rye were ground at the grist mill and stored in large bins until ready to be sold. The kitchen area was then the first Post Office with the miller as the postmaster. A brick yard and ice house were also on the property. Ice was cut on the pond, stored and covered with sawdust which made it last all year.

The Podunk Indians were once three clans, the Nameroke of Warehouse Point, the Hockanum of East Hartford, and the Scanticookes. They camped on the river, fishing for shad and salmon, hunting for deer and small game, raising corn, beans, squash, tobacco, and helping the Colonists build the dam. In return, the settlers gave them protection from the warring tribes of the Pequots and Mohegans.

Eventually, the dam was widened and recapped over the original field stone once built by the Indians, with a covered bridge. The building was completely restored with timbers and boards from nine tobacco sheds. This once crumbling, condemned, ex-mill, is now one of the most picturesque restaurants in Connecticut.

I can report that the food at this place is really pretty good – especially for a place that does a ton of covers every night with a giant pan-American menu.

But why is this bridge called The Kissing Bridge?

It’s an old tradition from the horse-and-buggy days, when a boy would stop halfway across a covered bridge where it was quiet to give his girl a kiss. Old-timers used to call all covered bridges “kissing bridges.”

Ok then. Smooches to you all.

CTMQ’s Covered & Other Cool Bridges