Back in Athens, back to The Ridges.

"The Ridges" is the name designated for the Ohio University owned, former Athens State Hospital Property. The Kirkbride style hospital originally opened in 1874. For those of you unfamiliar with "Kirkbrides," they were a common style of mental hospitals built on large plots of isolated land where patients took care of the land. Many Kirkbrides like the Athens State Hospital featured self sustaining apple orchards, gardens, and dairy farms. The hospital in Athens became part of Ohio University in 1993 when the final patients left and the grounds were transferred to the school. Today the main ward and wings serve as an art museum and office space, unable to be photographed.