Curved corridor with glass block windows, Fergus Falls Kirkbride Building

The Fergus Falls Kirkbride Building follows the linear, staggered wing plan developed by psychiatrist Thomas Story Kirkbride in the 19th century, which called for curved and angled corridors to maximize sunlight and airflow into patient wards. Architect Warren B. Dunnell designed the structure, completed in stages between 1890 and 1907 for the Fergus Falls State Hospital. Glass block windows, a later addition common to institutional retrofits of the mid-20th century, replaced or supplemented original sash windows along many of these corridors to preserve natural light while improving security and insulation. The hospital operated under state ownership until its closure in 2005, after which the building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its architectural significance and its role in the history of American mental health treatment.

Photo taken in June 2014.