“Mail, Pharmacy, Dining Room” Sign at Fergus Falls Kirkbride Building

The Fergus Falls Kirkbride Building, part of the former Fergus Falls Regional Treatment Center, was built in the 1890s following the linear-plan design advocated by psychiatrist Thomas Story Kirkbride for the humane treatment of the mentally ill. Its curved corridors connected staggered wings, allowing maximum light and ventilation to patient wards while separating different wards by sex and condition. A directional sign reading "Mail Deposit, Pharmacy, Dining Room, Auditorium" points toward the building's once-active service areas, reflecting the self-contained nature of the institution, which operated its own kitchens, laundry, and recreational facilities for patients and staff. The hospital operated under the state of Minnesota until its closure in the 1990s, after which the campus was left largely vacant.