***Important: Please take a second to visit http://www.savekirkbride.com/ and sign the petition. They are making an important decision on whether to demolish an incredible institution in Fergus Falls, MN. It is a stunning and well preserved Kirkbride and a staple to the town. I was fortunate enough to visit and photograph the institution in the Summer of 2010. It would truly be a huge historic loss if this place gets demolished.
As I have begun gathering the stories that fill the empty places, the thing that I have come to recognize is that the people, both staff members and former patients, do not want to be forgotten. They want their stories to be told … their stories to be heard. They wish for this life and these struggles to have meaning. If we can listen to these stories of our past, learn from our history, we may not make the same mistakes and our future decisions will be better for it.