Preservation
Twice destroyed by nature, preserved forever by community. Discover the 50-year journey to save Fred Smith’s Wisconsin Concrete Park.
The preservation of the Wisconsin Concrete Park is a testament to the resilience of both folk art and the Northwoods community. As the second major art environment in the United States to be officially preserved, the site’s history is defined by a series of narrow escapes and heroic restorations. After being purchased by the Kohler Foundation in 1976, the park survived two catastrophic windstorms in 1977 and 1987 that nearly resulted in the site being bulldozed. These crises transformed preservation efforts from temporary cosmetic fixes into a sophisticated, annual conservation program. By integrating modern engineering—such as the use of medical-grade boroscopes to inspect internal structures and the replacement of corroding iron with stainless steel armatures—the Friends of Fred Smith ensure that these 237 sculptures, the historic Smith family home, and the surrounding landscape are maintained with the highest museum-quality standards.
Caring for the Park
Arm Repair in Progress
Reinforcing a woman statue’s arm with welding, steel rods, and a concrete mixture.
Repairing large cracks
Professional preservationist works on stabilizing and repairing a horse head that had a large crack due to weather and erosion.
Dog 1977
Preservation after the wind storm, moving the dog to his permanent place atop the Budweiser wagon.
Glass reattacing
Seasonal preservationist working meticulously on reattaching glass pieces that have fallen off.
Arm Repair in Progress
Reattaching arm
A preservationist works on reattaching an arm using a concrete mixture and reinforcing with welding and steel rods.
Moving Sculpture 1977
Preservation efforts to relocate the Indian with Red Feathers after the strom.
Broken Pieces
Pieces from Paul Bunyan and his wolf hound that were broken off by a falling tree limb in the fall of 2024.
Storm repair
Don Howlett repairing a bas relief plaque downed by the downburst wind storm of 1977
Preserving the unique sculptures at the Wisconsin Concrete Park is an ongoing effort that combines professional expertise with dedicated community support. Each summer, professional preservationists spend several weeks at the park performing extensive conservation work on the statues. This includes stabilizing structures, reinforcing foundations, and carefully reattaching limbs and other damaged elements to ensure the long-term integrity of the artwork. Throughout the season, additional preservation work is carried out by seasonal staff and volunteers who assist with crack filling, moss removal, glass reattachment, applying rust inhibitors, and landscaping around the sculptures. Together, these efforts help protect Fred Smith’s remarkable creations so they can be enjoyed by visitors for generations to come.