Morning Light on the Fergus Falls Kirkbride Building’s Staggered Wings

The Fergus Falls Kirkbride Building was designed by architect Warren B. Dunnell and built in stages between 1888 and 1902 as the main structure of the Fergus Falls State Hospital. Its stepped, wing-and-connector layout follows the Kirkbride Plan, a 19th-century model for psychiatric hospitals that arranged patient wards in a staggered line to maximize sunlight and airflow. The building was constructed of cream-colored brick with a slate roof and once housed thousands of patients across its many wards. The hospital operated under several names, including the Fergus Falls Regional Treatment Center, before closing in 2005. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979 and remains one of the largest Kirkbride-style structures still standing in the United States.

Taken July 2015