Travelers along Highway 12 in Sauk County, Wisconsin, often find themselves in awe upon encountering Tom Every’s Forevertron sculpture for the first time. This massive 300-ton scrap-metal masterpiece seems poised to rocket into the cosmos.
Photo by Flickr
Constructed from an array of repurposed materials, the Forevertron incorporates an Apollo decontamination chamber and a pair of Thomas Edison dynamos from the 1880s. Tom Every, previously a salvage and demolition expert, transformed into metal artist Dr. Evermor, designing the Forevertron as the focal point of a vast sculpture park situated just outside Baraboo.
For the majority of his life, Tom Every was a professional demolisher. He worked in Wisconsin, tearing down old factories, breweries, and other structures that needed to be cleared. However, after retiring in 1983, he devoted his life to creation under the moniker Dr. Evermor.
Photo by Flickr
Dr. Evermor was conceived as a Victorian inventor from Eggington, England, with a backstory that involved a Presbyterian minister father and a horrifying lightning storm. Dr. Evermor’s creative vision materialized in the form of the Forevertron, an immense, sprawling sculpture park nestled in rural Wisconsin. Every, or “Dr. Evermor,” believed the park would launch him “into the heavens on a magnetic lightning force beam.” Unfortunately, he passed away in April 2020.
In 2011, Every was awarded the Wisconsin Visual Arts Achievement Award. The citation praised his ability to handle massive objects and his creative passion, which resulted in a series of grand mechanical fantasies. Every also contributed to the creation of some elements of the House on the Rock, located near Dodgeville.
The sculpture park, built from industrial scrap, features a decontamination chamber from NASA’s Apollo project, dynamos designed by Thomas Edison, and scrap metal sourced from an army ammunition plant.
Visiting Tips: To access the park, enter from Industrial Drive, face the front door of Delaney’s Surplus Sales, and go left through the lot. Be sure to leave a donation by the main structure.
The park is open from Thursday to Monday and can also be reached from Hwy 12 heading south.
Address:
S7703 US HWY 12
Sumpter, Wisconsin, 53591
United States