Kirkbride Buildings - Fergus Falls State Hospital

In the late nineteenth-century, overcrowding at Minnesota's two Kirkbride asylums in Rochester and St. Peter led to the creation of a third in Fergus Falls. Construction began in 1888 and was finished with completion of the central administration structure in 1906. Warren Dunnel of Minneapolis, Minnesota was the architect.

While most Kirkbrides have wings divided by sections joining at right angles, the sections here join at much wider angles. The resulting rough curve of the building's footprint is echoed in arched windows and the rounded turrets and connecting hallways. This gives the building a graceful and grand appearance which is somewhat offset by the rectangular central tower of the administration section. Much of the interior has been renovated extensively and is very modern. Original decorative elements still remain however, such as the ornate staircase in the center part of the Kirkbride, and the pervasive mosaic tiled floors. There are also some areas that have changed little since the early twentieth-century — a few wards in the North-East wing, and some staff living quarters in the administration area — but even these disused sections appear to be in solid condition.

Although still partly in use, the hospital has been declared surplus property by the state of Minnesota. The patient population has shrunk significantly and will soon be non-existant within the Kirkbride. The buildings and grounds are available for development in the near future and the city of Fergus Falls and the state of Minnesota are offering several incentives to anybody deciding to develop the property. For information on preservation and/or re-development please see Fergus Falls Regional Treatment Center at FergusPhotos.com.