Kirkbride Buildings - Traverse City State Hospital

Traverse City State Hospital opened in 1885 as the Northern Michigan Asylum for the Insane. As its name implies, it was founded to provide care for the population of northern Michigan.

One of several Kirkbride buildings constructed in Michigan, Traverse City is the last in existence. Today the hospital's Kirkbride sits within a large complex of buildings. Various cottages and other structures of different sizes surround it. This Kirkbride appears less ominous than some of the others documented on this site. The off-white walls, large un-boarded windows, and lack of overgrowth contribute to a much more wholesome aspect. Unfortunately, the building's administration section was deemed a fire hazard and was destroyed in 1963. Its replacement, a strictly utilitarian structure typical of mid-twentieth-century public architecture, spoils the beauty of this Kirkbride.

The good news is that the Traverse City community realizes that this building is still a treasure. Renovations are well under way, and the building will eventually become part of a mixed residential/commercial community within the larger city.