Fegus Falls State Hospital
Fergus Falls State Hospital was Minnesota's third state run institution for the treatment of mentally ill patients. The hospital was built following the kirkbride plan and only the West Detached Ward was operational during the hospital's opening in 1890. The entire kirkbride was finished in 1912. The first patients were transferred from other overcrowded state institutions. By the 1920's the hospital was the largest facility in the state, caring for about 1,700 patients. The hospitals growth eventually caused the town of Fergus Falls to double in population between the hospital's opening and 1930.
Fergus Falls State Hospital eventually fell victim to overcrowding just like many other institutions in the state. Most patients were there under court order as a way for the court system to consolidate the outcasts of society. In the 1970's the hospital changed its focus to deal with the decline of patients during deinstitutionalization. It would become the first hospital in the state to become a regional treatment center. This means the hospital now serviced patients based on their location and began to see patients with developmental disabilities and chemical dependancies who lived in Northwest or West Central Minnesota. The hospital would eventually close in 2005 after many patients were moved to small out-patient facilities. There is currently a fight to preserve the kirkbride building as it is in danger of demolition. As of 2018, the surrounding buildings have had demolition begin. The fight still continues to save this important part of history and the town is still accepting offers for adaptive reuse of the building.
Read MoreFergus Falls State Hospital eventually fell victim to overcrowding just like many other institutions in the state. Most patients were there under court order as a way for the court system to consolidate the outcasts of society. In the 1970's the hospital changed its focus to deal with the decline of patients during deinstitutionalization. It would become the first hospital in the state to become a regional treatment center. This means the hospital now serviced patients based on their location and began to see patients with developmental disabilities and chemical dependancies who lived in Northwest or West Central Minnesota. The hospital would eventually close in 2005 after many patients were moved to small out-patient facilities. There is currently a fight to preserve the kirkbride building as it is in danger of demolition. As of 2018, the surrounding buildings have had demolition begin. The fight still continues to save this important part of history and the town is still accepting offers for adaptive reuse of the building.
