Mint-Green Archway Leading Into the Fergus Falls Kirkbride Building

The Fergus Falls Kirkbride Building was constructed beginning in 1888 to house the Fergus Falls State Hospital, designed under the Kirkbride Plan that called for long, connected wings to give patients access to light and air. Architect Warren B. Dunnell designed the structure in the Romanesque Revival style, with its wings arranged in a stepped, linear pattern radiating from a central administration section. The hospital operated for over a century, eventually closing its doors in the early 2000s as mental health treatment shifted toward community-based care. Corridors like this one connected patient wards, dayrooms, and staff offices throughout the sprawling complex, which at its peak held more than 2,000 patients.