Spiral Staircase Framed by Twin Radiators at Fergus Falls Kirkbride Building

The Fergus Falls Kirkbride Building, formerly the Fergus Falls State Hospital, opened in 1890 under the Kirkbride Plan, a 19th-century model for asylum design developed by psychiatrist Thomas Story Kirkbride. The staggered wings were meant to maximize light and ventilation for patients, a hallmark of the Kirkbride system used at dozens of state hospitals nationwide. The hospital operated until 1999, when the state closed the facility and consolidated services elsewhere. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2006, and portions of the campus have since been redeveloped for community use.